The Lost Route at Richmond and the Turneresque river landscapes

The Lost Route to the Sea took me onward, starting at Richmond.The Thames here become more rural as it wind its way through to Weybridge.

The starting point, Richmond  is a place to eat and watch the world go by.  The riverside looks classically refined, but look closely at the buildings and you will see they are facsimiles of 18^th Century architecture, still managing to create an impressive backdrop.

The riverside from PicoMicroYacht

Richmond abounds with boats and is a good place to  do a spot of serious old fashioned rowing, the boat businesses adding character as a counterpoint to the shiny houses.

 A rowing boats slightly out of season at Richmond

The late winter silvery light contrasted with the trees as they started to show some colour.

Further up the river some geese flew by

The old barges that went this way were powered used a mixed of horses, oar power, wind and the tide.  Fascinated by the river traffic and the surrounding nature the great artist William Turner  used to sketch  on this part of the river and eventually built a house near Richmond as a retreat to escape the business of central London.

The Thames Near Isleworth by William Turner

I learned first from my art tutor how landscapes are filtered through the eye of the artist, who then uses their art to share the things they see. The landscapes transform the way you see the world to the better. Never was this more true than for William Malford Turner.

House Beside the River with Trees and Sheep 1806-7

Turner painted the rivers and the barges in sketches and would transfer his ideas in the studio into formal masterpieces for exhibitions and to sell. He did this to good effect when painting the classic views from Richmond Hill.

View from Richmond Hill on the Prince Regent's Birthday - painted in the style of Claude Lorrain