Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Derwent Lees died in 1931; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2001.
In context
The Blue Pool — Derwent Lees
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 47 at death.
Shaded: the lifetime of Derwent Lees (1884–1931) every dated painting, decade by decade
This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/derwent-lees-the-blue-pool-9EDDUG-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Rosy Brown #cba669
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 37 works by this artist, of which 4 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 2 of them, with 28.6% of that attention. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Born in Hobart, Australia
The story of Derwent Lees is one of profound resilience and a relentless pursuit of beauty amidst personal tragedy. Born Desmond Lees in the rugged landscape of Hobart, Tasmania, his early years were marked by a pivotal moment of hardship that would forever alter his physical journey. At the age of nineteen, a riding accident resulted in the amputation of his left foot, yet this physical limitation could not tether his soaring artistic spirit. Instead, it seemed to sharpen his focus on the ephemeral qualities of the world around him. Driven by an unyielding ambition, Lees moved from Australia to London in 1905, seeking the rigorous academic training that would eventually allow him to translate his inner visions onto canvas.
Enrolling at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art, Lees entered a vibrant intellectual ecosystem. It was here that he forged enduring bonds with fellow luminaries such as Augustus John and James Dickson Innes. Together, this creative quartet sought inspiration in the dramatic landscapes of Nant Ddu, Wales, where the interplay of mist, mountain, and light became a central theme in their collective explorations. These summer retreats were more than mere painting excursions; they were crucibles of intense creative energy, allowing Lees to refine a style that balanced the delicate observations of Impressionism with a burgeoning, more expressive intensity.
Lees’s technical evolution is a fascinating study in the blending of disparate movements. He was deeply enamored with the Impressionist masters, particularly Monet and Sisley, adopting their reverence for the fleeting moment and the atmospheric weight of light. His canvases often capture the tranquil beauty of a sunset or the shimmering surface of a lake, utilizing loose, textured brushstrokes to evoke a sense of movement and air. However, to categorize him solely as an Impressionist would be to overlook the striking emotional depth found in his more experimental works.
As his career progressed, a Fauvist influence began to permeate his palette. He moved beyond mere observation toward a more subjective expression, utilizing jarring colors and expressive distortions to convey psychological weight. This stylistic tension—between the serene light of his landscapes and the raw, emotive power of his color choices—mirrors the duality of his own life. His work often feels as though it is caught in a struggle between the external world's tranquility and an internal, unsettling turbulence, perhaps reflecting the mental illness that would later tragically curtail his prolific career.
The historical significance of Derwent Lees extends far beyond the borders of Australia. In 1913, he achieved a monumental milestone by becoming the sole Australian artist to participate in the groundbreaking Armory Show in New York City. This exhibition, which introduced much of the American public to the radical avant-garde movements of Europe, placed Lees at the very center of the international artistic dialogue. His presence in such a pivotal moment solidified his reputation as a visionary painter capable of navigating the complexities of modernism.
Despite the tragic conclusion of his life in 1931, the legacy of Derwent Lees remains etched in the annals of art history. His ability to weave together the following elements makes his body of work uniquely enduring:
Atmospheric Mastery: A profound ability to capture the ephemeral qualities of light and weather.
Stylistic Synthesis: The seamless integration of Impressionistic softness with Fauvist intensity.
Emotional Resonance: A rare capacity to imbue landscapes with a sense of human vulnerability and psychological depth.
International Impact: His role as a bridge between the Australian landscape tradition and the global avant-garde.
Today, when we look upon his works, such as 'Evening' or 'Lyndra, Sunset, Aldbourne', we do not merely see landscapes; we witness a soul attempting to capture the infinite within the finite, leaving behind a luminous trail of color that continues to haunt and inspire.
topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/derwent-lees-the-blue-pool-9EDDUG-en/
Look closely
The Blue Pool — Derwent Lees
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
"The Blue Pool" is available as a fine art print on cotton canvas or archival canvas paper. Orders are placed on its Fine Art Print page, in the size of your choice.
Derwent Lees appears under the alternate names Desmond Lees.
"The Blue Pool" by Derwent Lees can be viewed as a slideshow on the artwork's Diaporama page.