painting (oil): ["Trees by a Brook"] aka ["The Willow Tree, a Horseman and a Woman on a Road"]

A large (oak?) tree stands in the centre of the landscape, with a small plank fence built around it. There is another, thinner, (birch?) tree to the left, and in the foreground a small makeshift bridge over a stream perches precariously between the two banks. To the right of the picture, a man on a white horse leans down to talk to a woman. "Why did this picture ever become known as the 'Willow Tree', for it most certainly is not anything of the sort?" [Pitman to Gooden & Fox, 8 Oct. 1955 (Registry)] "I was always somewhat mystified by the title of the picture but as it was so exceedingly renowned it passed unchecked ... I must congratulate you on the acquisition of this picture since, in my opinion, it is one of the greatest landscapes ever produced in this country, it continues to improve the more one gets to know it and is peculiarly susceptible to light." [J.C. Quilter, managing director, Gooden & Fox, to Pitman 10 Oct. 1955 (Registry)], Provenance: Rev. Wilson of Kirby Cane - boughtat his sale by the Auctioneer, Baker of Bungay for £8; In the collection of J Sherrington sold May 1858; From the collection of Rev. J. Holmes and passed to G. Holmes of Brooke Hall, Norfolk; M.C. Borden of USA 1913; From the collection of G.K.G. illings, California 1920; From the collection of James Hardy, Norwich; Ernest E. Cook by whom bequeathed to Nottingham via NACF 1955. Exhibition history: Norwich 1860 (164) Norwich 1874 (36) RA 1876 (280) & 1891 (33) Norwich 1894 (15) Knoedlens, NY 1912 Exhib of Old Masters Arts Council 1968 Norwich & Tate Gallery (37) Crome Bicentenary Ipswich 1927 Daily Telegraph Exhibition, Olympia 1928 Munich 1979 Zwei Jahrhunderte Englische Malerei (348) British Council Exhib Literary Reference: Waager, Treasures of Art in Great Britain Vol III 1854 p438 Binyon pg 36 & 37 Dickes pg 126 "Norwich School of Painting" 1905 Theobald pg 40-41 Collier Baker pg 59 n.2. & 170 Pl. XLVIII "Crome" NACF 2nd Annual Report 1956 Reproductions: Request from Norman L. Goldberg, Florida to repro. In critical catalogue of Cromes work, published N.Y. Press (UK ed. Thomas & Hudson) 1955 Request to repro. In illustrated London News 1968 Request to repro. From Eastbourne Fine Arts Dealers & Publishers in book on Norwich School "East Anglian Painters" Vol III 1967 Request from D.P. Clifford to repro. In book on Crome - published Faber & Faber, (1) In the collection of Rev. Wilson of Kirby Cane. Bought at his sale by the Auctioneer, Baker of Bungay for £8 (2) In the collection of J. Sherrington, sold May 1858 (3) The collection of Rev. J. Holmes (4) G. Holmes of Brooke Hall, Norfolk (5) M.C. Borden of USA 1913 (6) The collection of G.K.G. Billings, California, 1920 (7) The collection of James Hardy, Norwich (8) Ernest E. Cook by whom bequeathed to Nottingham via NACF 1955