An exhibition at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester presents a broad survey of British landscape art from the late 18th century through the end of the 20th century, illustrating how painters, printmakers, and sculptors have interpreted the shifting environments of rural and urban Britain. The show, titled *British Landscapes: A Sense of Place*, explores not only the natural beauty of the countryside and coastlines but also the deeper cultural and historical layers found in these scenes, including themes of labour, memory, and mythology.

The collection features works by prominent artists such as Graham Sutherland, Eric Ravilious, and Paul Nash, whose pieces often convey the complex emotions inspired by the turbulence of the 20th century, particularly the impact of the two world wars. Sutherland’s landscapes, for example, are noted for their "exultant strangeness," a phrase he used in 1942 to describe the Pembrokeshire countryside during the Second World War. This description reflects how mid-century British modernism merged surrealism, neo-romanticism, and abstraction to depict the natural world in ways that convey both its vitality and its haunting qualities.

According to Simon Martin, director of Pallant House Gallery, many works on display reveal an unsettling atmosphere, with imagery including gnarled, almost monstrous trees and terrains that evoke fleshlike textures or post-apocalyptic sensations. Martin explains that the exhibition underscores the idea that landscapes are not static—they evolve and can appear uncanny, resisting a simple, serene characterization.

*British Landscapes: A Sense of Place* remains on view at Pallant House Gallery through November 1, offering visitors an opportunity to engage with the multi-faceted interpretations of Britain’s ever-changing environments as seen through the eyes of generations of artists.