Lot 582: F. Gallagher, Oil on Canvas, On the Road to Barnstaple, 1981 97x77cm

A traditional landscape oil painting on stretched canvas, depicting a tree-lined lane with a deep perspective. The composition features tall, slender trees with interlocking branches creating a natural vaulted canopy. In the foreground, three figures are depicted: two men and a boy, accompanied by four dogs. The figures are rendered in contemporary 20th-century outdoor attire. One figure is shown pointing down the road, suggesting a topographical narrative. The palette consists of naturalistic earth tones, greens, and ochres, with light filtered through the distant end of the tree tunnel. The work is housed in a decorative molded gilt-effect frame with a beaded inner border. A painted inscription in the lower left corner reads ON THE ROAD TO BARNSTABLE. The painting is signed in the lower right corner F Gallagher and dated 1981.