View of Appledore, North Devon, from Instow Sands (formerly 'Exmouth')
Maker
(artist)
1775-1802
1775-1802
Title
View of Appledore, North Devon, from Instow Sands (formerly 'Exmouth')
Date of Production
c. 1798
Medium
graphite and watercolour on laid paper
Dimensions
Height: 24.5 cm
Width: 47.3 cm
Width: 47.3 cm
Accession Number
D.1952.RW.846
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 view of the seaside village of Appledore in Devon, largely unchanged today, serves as a record of Girtin’s unusual working method. He turned the translucent quality of watercolour to his advantage by building up the design in distinct layers, allowing each stage of his development of the composition to show through. Girtin’s approach flouted contemporary academic practice, which encouraged artists to disguise all evidence of their labour. The use of coarse paper adds to the rich effect.
Provenance
possibly commissioned by Rowland Calvert, Appledore, Devon (c. 1750-1813); if so, then by descent to Katherine Calvert; Palser Gallery (London), 1913; Thomas Agnew & Sons (London), 1914; purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), 10 March 1914 (£155); Witt Bequest 1952
Exhibition History
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012
The Witt Collection - Four centuries of drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/04/2004-20/06/2004 ...More
Thomas Girtin and the Art of Watercolour, Tate Britain, London, 27/06/2002-29/09/2002
Material Evidence, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 30/10/1998-24/01/1999
The Perfection of England - Artist visitors to Devon, Djanogly Art Museum, Nottingham, 07/10/1995-12/11/1995
The Perfection of England - Artist visitors to Devon, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, 27/06/1995-09/09/1995
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/09/1986-30/11/1986; The Drawing Center, New York, 08/04/1986-26/07/1986
Mantegna to Cezanne - Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 24/02/1983-19/06/1983
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/06/1979-01/09/1979
Exhibition of Drawings and Watercolours from the Spooner and Witt Collections, Australia, New Zealand, 1976-78
Watercolours by Thomas Girtin, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1975
Landscape in Britain c. 1750-1850, Tate Gallery, London, 20/11/1973-03/02/1974
English Landscape Drawings [catalogue not found], Rye Art Gallery, England, 1971
English landscape painting of the 18th and 19th centuries, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 10/10/1970-23/11/1970; Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art, 01/12/1970-15/01/1971
English Landscape Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/01/1965-01/05/1965
L'Aquarelle Romantique en France et en Angleterre, Musee des Beaux-Arts, Calais, 29/07/1961-17/09/1961
Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1958-59
?, Belfast, 1957
L'Aquarelle anglaise, 1750-1850, Geneva and Zurich, 29/10/1955-17/03/1956
Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London; York City Art Gallery; Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
Loan Exhibition of Watercolours by Thomas Girtin, Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 1953
La peinture anglaise XVIIIe e XIXe siecles, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1938
Twee Eeuwen Engelsche Kunst, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 04/07/1936-04/10/1936
British Art Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 06/01/1934-10/03/1934
Annual Exhibition of Selected Watercolour Drawings, Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 1931
Loan collection of English water-colour drawings, Tokyo, 10/10/1929-24/10/1929
?, Vienna, 1924-25
Forty-sixth annual exhibition of selected water-colour drawings, Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 1914 ...Less
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012
The Witt Collection - Four centuries of drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/04/2004-20/06/2004 ...More
Thomas Girtin and the Art of Watercolour, Tate Britain, London, 27/06/2002-29/09/2002
Material Evidence, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 30/10/1998-24/01/1999
The Perfection of England - Artist visitors to Devon, Djanogly Art Museum, Nottingham, 07/10/1995-12/11/1995
The Perfection of England - Artist visitors to Devon, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, 27/06/1995-09/09/1995
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/09/1986-30/11/1986; The Drawing Center, New York, 08/04/1986-26/07/1986
Mantegna to Cezanne - Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 24/02/1983-19/06/1983
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/06/1979-01/09/1979
Exhibition of Drawings and Watercolours from the Spooner and Witt Collections, Australia, New Zealand, 1976-78
Watercolours by Thomas Girtin, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1975
Landscape in Britain c. 1750-1850, Tate Gallery, London, 20/11/1973-03/02/1974
English Landscape Drawings [catalogue not found], Rye Art Gallery, England, 1971
English landscape painting of the 18th and 19th centuries, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 10/10/1970-23/11/1970; Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art, 01/12/1970-15/01/1971
English Landscape Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/01/1965-01/05/1965
L'Aquarelle Romantique en France et en Angleterre, Musee des Beaux-Arts, Calais, 29/07/1961-17/09/1961
Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1958-59
?, Belfast, 1957
L'Aquarelle anglaise, 1750-1850, Geneva and Zurich, 29/10/1955-17/03/1956
Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London; York City Art Gallery; Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
Loan Exhibition of Watercolours by Thomas Girtin, Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 1953
La peinture anglaise XVIIIe e XIXe siecles, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1938
Twee Eeuwen Engelsche Kunst, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 04/07/1936-04/10/1936
British Art Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 06/01/1934-10/03/1934
Annual Exhibition of Selected Watercolour Drawings, Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 1931
Loan collection of English water-colour drawings, Tokyo, 10/10/1929-24/10/1929
?, Vienna, 1924-25
Forty-sixth annual exhibition of selected water-colour drawings, Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 1914 ...Less
Literature
Christie's, London, Old Master and British Drawings and Watercolours, 10 July 2014
p. 132 under lot 215
Fig. 1 on p. 132
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
pp. 190-92
Thomas Girtin: the art of watercolour, Tate Gallery, 2002, Tate Publishing
no. 110
Illus. p. 148 ...More
Material Evidence, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1998-1999
The Perfection of England: Artist Visitors to Devon c.1750-1870, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter; Djanogly Art Gallery, University of Nottingham, 1995 Plymouth, University of Plymouth, 1995
no. 24
Illus. p. 62
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 94
Illus. p. 213
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
no. 91, p. 74
Illus. p. 93
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1979
cat. no. 39
Exhibition of Drawings and Watercolours from the Spooner and Witt Collections, Australia, New Zealand, 1976 - 1978
cat. no. 35
Watercolours by Thomas Girtin, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1975
no. 36
Landscape in Britain c. 1750-1850, Tate Gallery, London, 1973-1974
no. 186
Illus. repr.
English landscape painting of the 18th and 19th centuries, Tokyo and Kyoto, 1970-1971
cat. no. 76
Illus. repr.
English Landscape Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1965
cat. no. 52
Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1958 - 1959
cat. no. 50
Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 23
L'Aquarelle anglaise, 1750-1850, Geneva and Zurich, 1955-56
no. 69
as 'Exmouth'
Girtin, Thomas and David Loshak, The art of Thomas Girtin: with a catalogue and 109 illustrations, London, 1954
no. 254 and pp. 66, 68, 168
Fig. 37
Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London, York City Art Gallery and Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
cat. no. 15
Mayne, Jonathan, Thomas Girtin, Leigh-on-sea 1949
p. 107
British Art Exhibition: commemorative catalogue, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1934
cat. no. 752
no. 756
Illus. pl. CLXIX
Catalogue of the loan collection of English water-colour drawings held at the Institute of Art Research, Ueno, Tokyo, Tokyo, 1929
Illus. pl. XXVII
Davies, Randall, Thomas Girtin's water-colours, London, 1924
Illus. repr.
Connoisseur, 1919
p. 201
Illus. repr. ...Less
p. 132 under lot 215
Fig. 1 on p. 132
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
pp. 190-92
Thomas Girtin: the art of watercolour, Tate Gallery, 2002, Tate Publishing
no. 110
Illus. p. 148 ...More
Material Evidence, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1998-1999
The Perfection of England: Artist Visitors to Devon c.1750-1870, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter; Djanogly Art Gallery, University of Nottingham, 1995 Plymouth, University of Plymouth, 1995
no. 24
Illus. p. 62
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 94
Illus. p. 213
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
no. 91, p. 74
Illus. p. 93
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1979
cat. no. 39
Exhibition of Drawings and Watercolours from the Spooner and Witt Collections, Australia, New Zealand, 1976 - 1978
cat. no. 35
Watercolours by Thomas Girtin, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1975
no. 36
Landscape in Britain c. 1750-1850, Tate Gallery, London, 1973-1974
no. 186
Illus. repr.
English landscape painting of the 18th and 19th centuries, Tokyo and Kyoto, 1970-1971
cat. no. 76
Illus. repr.
English Landscape Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1965
cat. no. 52
Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1958 - 1959
cat. no. 50
Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 23
L'Aquarelle anglaise, 1750-1850, Geneva and Zurich, 1955-56
no. 69
as 'Exmouth'
Girtin, Thomas and David Loshak, The art of Thomas Girtin: with a catalogue and 109 illustrations, London, 1954
no. 254 and pp. 66, 68, 168
Fig. 37
Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London, York City Art Gallery and Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
cat. no. 15
Mayne, Jonathan, Thomas Girtin, Leigh-on-sea 1949
p. 107
British Art Exhibition: commemorative catalogue, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1934
cat. no. 752
no. 756
Illus. pl. CLXIX
Catalogue of the loan collection of English water-colour drawings held at the Institute of Art Research, Ueno, Tokyo, Tokyo, 1929
Illus. pl. XXVII
Davies, Randall, Thomas Girtin's water-colours, London, 1924
Illus. repr.
Connoisseur, 1919
p. 201
Illus. repr. ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower left edge, black wash, signed by the artist: "Girtin".
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower left edge, black wash, signed by the artist: "Girtin".
Collector's mark: none.
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