Sailing barges on calm water
Maker
John Le Capelain (artist)
1812-1848
1812-1848
Title
Sailing barges on calm water
Date of Production
1800 - 1899
Medium
watercolour on cream tinted, wove paper
Dimensions
Height: 17.1 cm
Width: 25.6 cm
Width: 25.6 cm
Accession Number
D.1952.RW.4389
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
This sheet, so deceptively simple in subject, reminds one of similar works by Peter de Wint. There is the same delicate blocking-in of the sails and hulls of the three barges, the masts and sea birds are drawn in with the point of the brush, and there is no preliminary pencil underdrawing. There is some scoring of the paper along the waterline of the foreground boat to suggest rippling foam. The otherwise almost monochromatic treatment of the composition is relieved by touches of pink and yellow on the super-structure of the nearest boat. A slightly darker wash in the background may be intended to indicate mist rising from the surface of the water, and is a characteristic touch.
Provenance
property of a Lady, Sotheby's (London), 10 May 1950, lot 69; purchased from there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952); Witt Bequest 1952
Exhibition History
English Landscape Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/01/1965-01/05/1965
Literature
English Landscape Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1965
cat. no. 42
Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 31
cat. no. 42
Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 31
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower right corner, brown ink, signed by the artist: "J. LeCapelan". Verso: lower right corner, graphite: "3".
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower right corner, brown ink, signed by the artist: "J. LeCapelan". Verso: lower right corner, graphite: "3".
Collector's mark: none.
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