The shadow of Paul Cézanne hangs heavy over this week’s Landscape Artist of the Year. No, the post-impressionist master hasn’t been resurrected to offer brushstroke tips. Instead, the contestants find themselves at Dinorwic quarry in Wales, tasked with capturing the kind of rugged, geometric beauty that Cézanne himself might have appreciated. Dinorwic, once the second largest slate quarry globally, now houses the National Slate Museum – a testament to the site’s industrial past.
Now, it’s a haven for rock climbers and, apparently, landscape artists battling it out for a Cézanne-inspired commission. Sure, it’s no Mont Sainte-Victoire, but the sheer scale and textured slopes of Dinorwic should offer plenty of dramatic fodder for the painters. This episode explores not just the picturesque aspects but the history etched into the quarry walls. Will the artists manage to evoke a sense of place, or will their canvases end up looking like, well, just a pile of rocks? Tune in to find out.
This episode marks the fifth installment of the tenth season, a milestone that makes one contemplate the show’s quiet, steady popularity. The format, bless its predictable heart, remains comfortingly familiar: amateur and professional artists grappling with the elements and the clock, hoping to impress the judges enough to move on to the next round. The ultimate prize? A £10,000 commission for the National Trust’s permanent collection and, perhaps, a fleeting moment of art-world glory.
Landscape Artist of the Year airs Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 8:00 PM on Sky Arts.
