National Galleries of Scotland

This painting is among Pringle's largest works. It was painted during the year he lived in the country, to the east of Glasgow. His technique of painting in small brushstrokes is indebted to the French Neo-impressionists. Pringle would probably have seen paintings by followers of the group on exhibition in Glasgow. His training as an optician and familiarity with painstaking, detailed work may have influenced his preference for painting in a detailed manner; his rendering of the wire in this painting is a perfect example of this. The artist's delicate touch and fresh handling of paint are evident in this painting.