Belle Isle, Windermere, in a Calm

This painting, which was painted for exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1786, provides a complete contrast to the earlier depiction of Windermere displayed opposite. This gentle setting emphasises the softly rolling, wooded fells, Claife Heights, surrounding the calm and idyllic lake.

The scene includes fashionable tourists sailing in a yacht, as well as local farming people boarding the ferry. Here there is a peaceful atmosphere and there is no hint of the terror and menace of the lake’s other side.