Joseph Kent Richardson RSW - Peat Moss, Forres, Invernesshire

Joseph Kent Richardson RSW - Peat Moss, Forres, Inverness-shire Oil Painting

Early 20th-century oil painting by Joseph Kent Richardson RSW (1877–1972), titled Peat Moss, Forres, Inverness-shire, depicting a quiet rural Scottish landscape with open mossland, a small white cottage, trees, low hills and a broad cloud-filled sky.

Richardson was a Scottish artist and member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, known for his atmospheric Scottish landscapes and topographical subjects. This work is characteristic of his interest in rural scenery, combining a modest Highland/Moray landscape subject with confident, painterly handling and a strong sense of changing light.

The title refers to a peat moss near Forres, connecting the scene to Scotland’s historic peat-bog landscapes, once important sources of rural fuel. The small white cottage and reflective pool give scale and focus to the open landscape, while the dark wooded ridge and expansive sky create a particularly atmospheric composition.

The painting is signed lower left and retains its original handwritten label verso, giving the title, artist’s name and Richardson’s studio address at The Studio, Goose Green, Gullane, East Lothian. Presented in an ornate moulded frame with an aged gilt and reddish-brown finish.

Artist: Joseph Kent Richardson RSW (1877–1972)
Title: Peat Moss, Forres, Inverness-shire
Medium: Oil on canvas board
Date: Early 20th century, probably circa 1920s–1930s
Painting size: 32 x 24 cm
Framed size: 38 x 48 cm
Signature: Signed lower left
Frame: Ornate moulded frame
Label: Handwritten artist’s label verso
Condition: The painting is in good overall antique condition, with light age-related surface wear visible. The frame has general wear, rubbing, small losses and age-related distressing to the finish, in keeping with its period character. Please see photographs for details.