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CHESHIRE ANTIQUES CONSULTANT LTD

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Item Details

Victorian Masterpiece Ben Lawers, First Light, Morning Mist — Highland Cattle Beside Loch Tay
Tom Seymour (1844–1904), Oil on Canvas, circa 1880
Description
An evocative Highland dawn scene, with the first light rising over Loch Tay and the towering form of Ben Lawers softened by morning mist. In the foreground, a mountain stream tumbles through rocks and ferns, guiding the eye toward a trio of Highland longhorn cattle grazing peacefully among the heather. Their shaggy coats in russet, dark brown, and golden tones glow warmly against the cool silver light of the loch and mountain beyond.
To the right, a small stone croft cottage, its thatched roof blending into the hillside, serves as a quiet symbol of human life within the wild grandeur of the landscape. Seymour’s masterful use of oil on canvas heightens the contrast between the solid, tactile presence of cattle and rocks, and the ethereal softness of mist, sky, and water.
Composition & Technique
Foreground: Stream, rocks, and heather frame the composition, leading to finely observed cattle rendered with warmth and vitality.
Middle ground: Rolling slopes carry the eye toward the cottage, adding narrative and scale.
Background: Ben Lawers rises in misty grandeur, its silvery tones dissolving into pale blue morning sky.
Palette: Warm ochres and russets balance against cooler greys, greens, and blues, evoking both the crisp chill of dawn and the stirring warmth of life in the glen.
Style: A blend of Romantic sensitivity and Victorian realism, with textured, expressive brushwork for foliage and fur, and softer, atmospheric strokes for mist and sky.
The Artist
Tom Seymour (1844–1904) was a Victorian painter celebrated for atmospheric landscapes of Scotland and rural Britain. His works combined geographical accuracy with poetic sensibility, often featuring cattle, sheep, or croft cottages as emblems of pastoral life. Widely collected during his lifetime, his paintings remain admired for their lyrical balance of grandeur and intimacy.
Details
Signed: Lower right
Medium: Oil on canvas
Framed Dimensions: 67 cm (w) × 47 cm (h) × 2.5 cm (d)
Frame: Later gilt moulded traditional frame
Provenance
Private Collection, United Kingdom
Acquired via Notable Middle Shire Auction
Exhibited at Middle Shire Museum
Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Condition
Good overall condition for age. Canvas with stable age-related craquelure, minor paint loss at lower edges, and some foxing in areas. Professionally revarnished in 2010, preserving tonal depth. Frame shows surface wear and scuffs consistent with age, structurally sound and ready to hang.
Highlights
Luminous Highland dawn over Loch Tay with cattle, cottage, and stream — a complete pastoral tableau
Poetic interplay of warm earth tones and cool atmospheric light
Signed example by a respected Victorian landscape painter
Ideal for collectors of Scottish or Romantic landscapes
Shipping
Worldwide delivery available. Carefully packed and fully insured for safe transit.
Bring the romance of the Scottish Highlands into your collection or interior — a rare and atmospheric work by Tom Seymour.

  • Period: 1880
    • Price: £6,000.00
    • €6,868 Euro
    • $8,069 US Dollar
  • Location: London
    • Dimensions: H: 47cm (18.50in)
    • W: 67cm (26.38in)
    • D: 2.5cm (0.98in)