Fountains Fell, Yorkshire Dales

Fountains Fell, Yorkshire Dales is a photograph from ‘We English’, a series of pictures by Simon Roberts which surveys ordinary people at leisure in the English landscape. An exhibition of the series toured to more than 30 venues and the monograph has been voted one of the best photography books of the past decade.

Roberts studied Human Geography at the University of Sheffield and gained a distinction in photography from the National Council for the Training of Journalists. His work has been widely exhibited and he was selected by the House of Commons as the official artist for the 2010 general election.

Fountains Fell is a light-hearted image that draws on the tradition of English landscaping painting and portraiture to show a couple picnicking in the Yorkshire Dales. The proximity of this sublime landscape to Sheffield and the artist’s connection with the city give the picture a special place in the museum’s collection.