Still Waters Run Deep was painted by Edward Henry Fahey in 1877.
This scene of a man and woman in a peaceful landscape is set in Albury Park, Surrey, the ancestral seat of the Duke of Northumberland. It is a companion to the painting ‘He Never Came’, which is in a private collection. The title could refer to the pool or to human nature, where a calm exterior can conceal a greater depth of personality.
The painting was purchased with the assistance of the Langworthy Bequest in 1877 and now hangs in the Victorian Gallery at Salford Museum and Art Gallery.
Have a good look at this painting and think about the following questions:
The colour palette chosen for this painting is rather subdued and it looks like the artist has only used a handful of colours which really adds to the mood of the painting – isn’t that impressive! Why don’t you pick four colours and try your own lake scene. It could include the following:
Write a page of dialogue between the couple in the painting. Think about the following:
The painting was made with a companion piece entitled ‘He Never Came’, pictured here. With this in mind, now write a diary entry from the lady in the painting that spans the entire day that the two were clearly meant to meet as if she had written it in the evening of that day. Think about the following: