About this artwork

This spectacular shot of the landscape around Peebles highlights Buckham’s willingness to fly in the depths of winter despite the freezing conditions in the plane’s open cockpit. Although unbearably cold, he recalled that “the air… is so splendidly exhilarating that the discomfort is little felt until the blood begins to circulate freely again”. The sense of scale is enhanced in this image with the small silhouette of a biplane visible against a wispy, white cloud. This is an example of Buckham’s artistic manipulation of his images, which included combining atmospheric photographs of the sky with his landscape shots alongside painted aircraft, all of which enhance the composition.

Updated before 2020

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Alfred G Buckham

Alfred G Buckham