The City remains a strong draw to David Prentice. Although he had said at one time that he was unlikely to produce new paintings on the subject, illustrated on the following pages are indeed some magnificent new examples distributed among other recent works.

The artist's metropolitan works bear interesting comparison to his paintings of the Malvern Hills. We are provided with a similar sense of elevation, an equal sense of drama, and great naturalism in the portrayal of the weather. Where does the drama comes from? In the case of the Malverns it is inherent within the substantial pre-historic pushing to the surface of the rock and earth that made this natural landmark. By contrast the City of London is of course man-made, and it is interesting to compare the degrees of elevation. By the end of the 20^th Century and now in the early part of the 21^st, one might be tempted to think that there are buildings in the city as high as the Malvern Hills, themselves modest compared to Munroes for example. In fact, London's tallest building near the end of the first decade of the 21^st Century is No 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, but at 771 feet it is only half the height of the highest point of the Worcestershire landmark.

While such statistics are interesting, it is David's ability to orchestrate these vistas with such vitality, skill and finesse that places his work apart. His compositions encompass daunting scale and perspective, yet are electrified with inspired handling of light, convincing description of weather, and rendered with such a vigorous palette, we are never left left in any doubt as to the weight, scale and establishment of this large region of the City of London.  

                                                                                                                        John Davies

                                                                                                                        April 2010