Man or Atmosphere

Norman Garstin (1847-1926) was an Irish painter who was part of the artist colony known as the Newlyn School in Cornwall, England. 

(Above: "The Rain It Raineth Every Day.") Like his contemporaries, Garstin was interested the idea of painting the atmosphere as well as the object. As Garstin put it:

"We seek to represent not only the man, but, as it were, his very atmosphere, and not only his surroundings but his surroundings under certain specific conditions, and it is in making this atmosphere as much a part of the picture as the mere actualities, that our chief claim to an original view of nature lies."

(Above: "A Steady Drizzle") This idea was current in Garstin's generation, particularly among his contemporaries such as Manet, Whistler, and Bastien-Lepage. Garstin was also a student of Japanese prints and calligraphy.
-----
Norman Garstin on Wikipedia
Newlyn School on Wikipedia
Quote is from the book: Stanhope Forbes and the Newlyn School Pb