Old Oak in Boldrewood

The exacting attention to physical appearance in these early works by Crane is characteristic of the Pre-Raphaelite pursuit of realism through the careful recording of observed phenomena. For example, in the image of the oak tree Crane turns a sharp eye toward individual features, such as the texture of bark, the twining vines and the plants growing up the trunk. The effect of sunlight bouncing off individual blades of grass is achieved with precise touches of white bodycolor. The other drawing is a focused vignette of a stand of trees. The Pre-Raphaelite insistence on capturing individual details often results in a scene that appears to exist in a vacuum, a landscape without air. Here, Crane’s use of pen and watercolor achieves the desired level of observation while preserving a naturalistic sense of atmosphere.