About this artwork

The white drake combines Crawhall's detailed observation with his strong sense of formal design. He captured the play of dappled light across the bird's feathers and used the meadow grass to help define the space. The daisies and dandelions contribute both to the sense of recession and to the composition's decorative character, creating a rich surface pattern. Crawhall tended to work from memory and imagination, but based his work on his intense observations from life. His interest in Japanese prints and Chinese wash drawings on silk inspired watercolours like this one, which is painted on linen.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Joseph Crawhall (1861 - 1913) Scottish
  • title:
    The White Drake
  • date created:
    About 1895
  • materials:
    Watercolour and gouache on unsized brown linen, laid onto a wood backboard
  • measurements:
    40.70 x 57.10 cm (framed:72 x 89.5 x 2.7 cm)
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Purchased with support by the National Lottery through The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund, 1996
  • accession number:
    D 5415
  • gallery:
  • subject:
  • glossary:
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Joseph Crawhall

Joseph Crawhall