Winter Coat
WINTER COAT, egg tempera, 83 x 61 cm
© Fergus A Ryan, 2018 Private collection
Exhibited Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition 2018
I often include figures in landscapes or interiors who are alone, and not 'conscious' of the viewer. This detachment, paradoxically, increases the viewers emotional response, as if afforded a secret access to a figure who is alone. Ths scene is in a disused mill in northern Germany, owned by a family friend. My wife Sarah struck a characteristic pose, with her gloved hand on the windowsill and her left foot turned out for balance. The egg tempera affords a glow from the dusty walls, and the warm interior light contrasts with the chill winter day outside.