George Clausen (1852-1944) was an English artist who specialized in paintings of village life, depicting pretty villagers and scenes of peasant labor. His work was somewhat similar to the paintings of Arkady Plastov. True, Plastov wrote in the style of socialist realism, but in his best canvases, written by the dictates of the heart, not "as it should be", such as "Bathing Horses" or "Spring" was able to very soulfully and authentically depict the life of ordinary villagers, and managed to show the philosophical depth and inner essence of their existence through everyday scenes with their participation. Without this task, the maximum, according to Plastov, turns out to be only "simple naturalism", which even to pure art is remotely related.
Arkady Plastov. Spring.
Clausen's work, despite the fact that the artists lived in different countries and a little at different times in general solved the same problem - the desire to catch in the everyday peasant labor and everyday scenes involving villagers something more than it seems at first glance.
George Clausen. The Girl at the Gate
His paintings impressed the English with their naturalism, frankness, truth of life, careful and verified detail, love and attention to the characters depicted on them. True, they were often more decorative - they had to sell them to wealthy buyers. Krausen willingly depicted not distinguished by excessive modesty village girls, ready, if they have a desire to do so, to be alone with the attractive beau in the nearest hayloft.
Spring
It is true that in England of that time Victorian morality was no less severe than Soviet morality in the 1930s and had to be taken into account. On the other hand, with their commitment to naturalism, Clausen's paintings were reminiscent of the works of Gustave Courbet, in particular his famous "Bathers".
Winter work (Harvesting beets)
The path to art for Clausen in many ways was predetermined - his father worked as a painter-decorator, and therefore there were no special doubts about the choice of profession. Already at the age of 18, the young man supported himself by working as a draftsman, but boring drawings is not what he would like to do all his life. So he enrolled in the National School of Art, where he admired the works of the most fashionable at the time artists Millet, Leighton and James Whistler.
Then Clausen moved to Paris and 6 months studied at the Academy Julian, where taught academicians Bouguereau and Robert-Fleury. But Clausen was more interested in Impressionism, and in his paintings, even scenes of hard peasant labor were not without airiness, lightness and fleeting.
Kosci
Soon he began to exhibit his paintings, which were warmly received by many critics - few could so realistically and accurately depict rural landscapes and scenes from the lives of peasants, which were at that time the majority of the population of England. Clausen sincerely empathized with the characters in his paintings, tried to understand their thoughts, feelings and worldview, and therefore committed a deed that surprised the entire London creative bohemia, to which he belonged and himself.
Student
He married and moved from London to the countryside to immerse himself in rural life as much as possible. His paintings became even more naturalistic - the peasants did not look like ancient gods, as some academic artists had portrayed them before, but like themselves, as they were in real life - with wrinkled faces, calloused hands, who liked to drink and snack if given the opportunity and occasion.
Peasant woman
But at the same time leading a simple and correct life, with a clear moral inner core, formed by the customs and traditions of the area where they lived and understanding that all their deeds and deeds will invariably become public knowledge - in the village everyone knows everything about everyone.
And the quiet life in the village clearly benefited the artist - he lived 92 years and died in universal honor and respect.
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