Far From The Madding Crowd

The world in the last two years has been full of surprises, some good and many bad. It has become more hectic and uncertain. International and national politics, the rise of a 24-hour social media culture and the growing demands on our careers and employment, have all contributed to make the world a little more stressful each day.

It was out of this that the idea for this auction was born. Landscape art has always provided a removed viewpoint of life: the artist steps back from the scene and paints, sketches, photographs or even sculpts what they observe - a voyeur of reality. And it is through these finished artworks that it is possible for us, the viewer, to also escape the madness, take a deep breath and view the world from a remote and refreshed perspective.

Curated in partnership with Narcissus Arts, ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ brings together a collection of artworks that do just that. We have scoured high and low to find landscapes, seascapes and townscapes from inspiring artists that provide a new view on life. Yet we have twisted the rules on the traditional conventions of 'landscape art' to challenge our ideas of escapism and keep pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.