Label Text:
Rendered at handsome, even heroic profile by the little-known British artist John Ritchie, this stonemason intently carries out his task of carving a mile marker. Three spectators—two children bearing flowers and a monk—observe his skillful progress with fascination and, perhaps, dread. The panoramic vista behind them culminates in a townscape (possibly Stamford, north of London), suggesting the likely destination of future travelers who might see the mile marker and be reassured that their journey is nearly complete.
Exalting pre-modern ways of life and abounding with eye-catching details, Ritchie’s Stonemason betrays the painter’s sympathy for the British Pre-Raphaelites, artists who similarly idealized the past as a means of critiquing the industrialized present. Indeed, by the mid-nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution had transformed Britain more than all other European countries. As increasing numbers sought work in burgeoning towns and cities, rural populations diminished precipitously, changes about which Ritchie’s country children and monk appear to express some trepidation.
RRG, 2010
In this genre scene, a stonemason inscribes a highway milestone on the outskirts of a cathedral city, watched by three onlookers out for a ramble in the countryside. Ritchie follows in the tradition of Pre-Raphaelite brother Ford Madox Brown in giving heroic prominence to the labors of a traditional craftsman, whose skills and tools are displayed in the foreground. The bearded monk and medieval church in the background underscore the connection between this contemporary craftsman and the past. More generally, the scene reflects the mid-nineteenth century interest in Gothic Revival art and architecture. Victorian sentimental taste prompted the inclusion of young girls with a flower basket.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=AC+1979.72 |
