Bideford, devon-the Estuary of the Taw

David Bomberg is now widely acknowledged to be one of the most important British painters of the twentieth century but sadly he achieved recognition only after death. Not until 1967 was the first major exhibition of his work held at the Tate Gallery. Nevertheless, he enjoyed early success under the influence of the Cubist and Futurist movements but his experiences in the First World War changed his outlook for good. His later work became more representational and focused upon the landscape of Palestine, Cyprus, Spain and Britain. After the Second World War Bomberg also became a distinguished teacher, based at the Borough Polytechnic, London.

When Bomberg camped at Instow with his wife in 1946 he was continuing a ‘Tour of Devon’ tradition started by Turner and Girtin some 150 years earlier. Despite the title, the location is actually several miles north of Bideford. From a hill, the view looks westward from Instow across the estuary of the rivers Taw and Torridge to the sea beyond. Bomberg’s late landscape paintings are forceful, free and expressive, with vigorous brushmarks. He believed that his paint marks should embody his individual response to the landscape which he described as "the spirit in the mass".