A Trout Stream

The inscription by the artist's daughter on the reverse of this sketch identifying the site as a trout stream, suggests that she thought the work was painted after Reinagle's return to Britain from the Continent early in the 19th century. Reinagle's depiction of a swift-moving shallow stream, with water breaking over rocks, is in keeping with the advice of the artist Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes. Valenciennes recommended the practice of painting such streams, suggesting that it sharpened the artist's eye to the visual effects of movement.