The Beautiful Vale and Mowddach River, Merionethshire

This watercolor depicts the valley of the Mawddach, a river with its source in North Wales. By using a tree as repoussoir on the right and lighter washes of color in the background for atmospheric perspective, Griffith not only creates depth in the composition but also a sense of the infinite that was seen as a source of the sublime. He contrasts the heavy mountain slopes with the agile, meandering river.