The Haunted Glen, the Intruder, by Fred Weekes (1834-1924). Date not known, but likely to be from the early-mid 1880s. Oil on board. The Gallery tells us that the work is "initialled and signed on the back, and labelled for exhibition," and that its dimensions are 7 ¼ x 19 ¼ inches.
The tentative dating is suggested by the Maas Gallery's information that in 1885/6 "Weekes exhibited a watercolour of a similar subject to this oil at Suffolk Street titled Intruding on the Fairies Haunt (a popular musical called The Fairies Haunt was staged in London in 1883).
A rider in armour leans precipitously from his white mount, his torso contorted as he stares aghast at several ethereal figures materialising from the wintry solitude of the glen on the other side of a stream. Their arms reach towards him across the waving grass. Their long golden hair fans behind or around them as they rise between stunted trees. The horse's head inclines towards them too, in recognition of an eerie presence. Everything is in motion here. The knight, cleverly seen from behind, is the intruder: he has disturbed the spirits of the haunted glen, and is disturbed in his turn. His weapon will be useless against such sprites.
Both colour and light effects are highly effective: the banks of the dark stream are softer, graduated, sometimes even golden in tone; light gleams from the head of one of the feys, and catches the knight's armour as he inclines towards them, glinting on his horse's raised hoof. The white horse with its flowing mane and tail stands out in the shadowy scene, while the glimpse of the rider's red breeches makes a needed splash of colour among the shadows. This is a powerful painting which makes an immediate impact, but is worth studying in detail. — Jacqueline Banerjee
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Created 12 October 2025