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"Far from the Busy World"

An identically titled painting "Far from the busy world" was exhibited at the RSA Annual Exhibition in 1878, catalogue number 318, priced at £400. As the Diploma Work is signed and dated "1879" the exhibited painting can not be the same piece as the Diploma Work unless the artist post dated the canvas. The 1878 exhibited painting is reproduced in "The Royal Scottish Academy Notes, 1878" on page 45 and given the following description "Cattle in water on a bleak moorside. Finely modulated grey hills/ over which heavy clouds are driving. Broad effects of light, and fine/ airy distance. The picture is painted with miuch force, in strong colour/ and is in every way a highly satisfactory transcript of nature. "