by-nc

Peterborough cathedral from the West front

Maker

(artist)
1775-1802

Title

Peterborough cathedral from the West front

Date of Production

(circa) 1795

Medium

graphite and watercolour on wove paper

Dimensions

Height: 41 cm
Width: 27.5 cm

Accession Number

D.1967.WS.48

Mode of Acquisition

William Wycliffe Spooner, bequest, 1967

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords




Label Text

This drawing is one of six variations on the subject. Its studied precision reveals Girtin’s early training as a topographical watercolourist with Edward Dayes. The strong vertical accent, sound sense of perspective, and intricate decorative detail reflect Girtin’s experience as a draughtsman of architectural subjects. His use of the close, off-centre viewpoint and the way he fills the sheet with the whole edifice were influenced by the work of the well-known topographer Thomas Malton the younger (1748-1804).

Notes

This stems from Girtin's tour of the Midlands in 1794 with his patron, James Moore. There are 5 other versions of this drawing, this probably being the second after that in the Ashmolean. Others are in the Whitworth and Yale.

Provenance

Spink & Son (London), by September 1966; Mr and Mrs William Wycliffe Spooner, Ilkley (1882-1967); Spooner Bequest 1967

Exhibition History

British Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Huntington Museum and Art Gallery, Los Angeles, 12/02/2005-15/05/2005

British Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Huntington Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 12/02/2005-15/05/2005; Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere, 18/07/2005-23/10/2005; Hermitage Rooms, Somerset House, London, 16/11/2005-12/02/2006

Thomas Girtin and the Art of Watercolour, Tate Britain, London, 27/06/2002-29/09/2002 ...More

Drawing in 18th Century Britain, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 18/03/1995-21/05/1995

Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992

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

English Landscape Drawing and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/05/1977-01/06/1977

Watercolours by Thomas Girtin, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1975

The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1974

English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 11/05/1973-02/06/1973

English Landscape Drawings [catalogue not found], Rye Art Gallery, England, 1971

Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner
Collection
, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969

The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/04/1968-01/07/1968 ...Less

Literature

The Spooner Collection of British Watercolours, Courtauld Institute Galleries; Huntington Library; Wordsworth Trust, 2005-06
cat. no. 50
ill. on p. 173

Thomas Girtin: the art of watercolour, Tate Gallery, 2002, Tate Publishing
no. 72
ill. on p. 98

Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 36
pp. 80, 181
ill. on p. 81 ...More

Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 190
ill. on p. 191

The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 93
ill. on p. 211

English Landscape Drawing and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1977
cat. no. 19

The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1974
cat. no. 28

English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 1973
cat. no. 28

Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969
cat. no. 38
ill.

Troutman, Philip, 'The Evocation of Atmosphere in the English Water-colour' in Apollo, July 1968
p. 55
fig. 8 on p. 54

The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1968
cat. no. 46
pl. X

Spink & Son, Spink & Son advertisement in 'Burlington Magazine', September 1966; 108, 762
p. xxix ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Mount (removed, cut down and now in file): Recto: graphite: “Peterborough / Cathedral”. Verso: pen and brown ink: “12.12.0.”. Verso of lining card (removed in 1981 and now missing but recorded in file): “Plain impl.”.

Collector's mark: none.

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