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The Deserted village

Maker

After
(artist)
1747-1801

After
(artist)
1727-1815

Title

Date of Production

(circa) 1795

Medium

graphite, black and red chalk, pen and grey ink, grey wash and watercolour on paper, laid down

Dimensions

Height: 35.7 cm
Width: 46 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.3847

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

Drawings like this frequently present problems in that their relationship to a known reproductive print is difficult to work out. Francesco Bartolozzi produced a stipple engraving of this image which was published in 1795; this drawing has been thought to be either a preparatory drawing made by the artist to guide the engraver, or an intermediary work made by the engraver after Wheatley's original. In fact it seems likely to be neither of these, but simply a copy by an unknown hand after the engraving; it is, at any rate, the same size and in the same direction as the print.

Provenance

possibly Thomas Macklin, London (c. 1752/3-1800); if so, his estate sale, Coxe, Burrell and Foster (London), 5-9 May 1800, lot 53 on day 3 (as by Bartolozzi after Wheatley); Singer (?); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b, n.d.; Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Some British Drawings on loan to the National Gallery of Canada from the Collection of Sir Robert Witt, American Federation of the Arts, Washington, D.C. and nine cities in the USA, 1951

Some British Drawings on loan to the National Gallery of Canada from the Collection of Sir Robert Witt, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1949 - 1950

Some British Drawings from the Collection of Sir Robert Witt, Arts Council of Great Britain, 1948

Literature

Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 56

Some British Drawings on loan to the National Gallery of Canada from the Collection of Sir Robert Witt, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1949-50
no. 59

Some British Drawings from the Collection of Sir Robert Witt, Arts Council of Great Britain, 1948
no. 86

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: unable to check as is laid down.

Inscription: none.

Collector's mark: Verso (backing sheet): lower left edge, stamped in black ink: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk. Find out more about using and licensing our images.

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