Winter in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland

Ernest Albert Waterlow was a distinguished British landscape painter who served as President of the Royal Watercolour Society and was knighted in 1902. Born in London in 1850, he trained at the Royal Academy schools where he won the prestigious Turner medal for landscape painting in 1873. This winter scene of the Lauterbrunnen Valley demonstrates Waterlow's characteristic grace and distinction in handling both oil and watercolour landscapes. The Lauterbrunnen Valley, a dramatic Alpine valley in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, was a popular destination for British artists in the late 19th century, drawn by its spectacular scenery of towering cliffs and cascading waterfalls. Waterlow traveled extensively on the continent, obtaining a passport signed by the Foreign Secretary in 1871, and Swiss Alpine subjects would have been natural subjects for an artist of his generation. The winter setting allows for a study in subtle tones and the interplay of light on snow-covered peaks and valley floors, showcasing the technical mastery that made Waterlow both an Associate and later full Academician of the Royal Academy. His landscapes were admired for their atmospheric qualities and careful observation of natural light.