Ruins of Saint Augustine's Priory, Canterbury
Maker
(artist)
1775-1802
1775-1802
Title
Ruins of Saint Augustine's Priory, Canterbury
Date of Production
(circa) 1795 - 1798
Medium
graphite, pen and brown ink and watercolour on laid paper
Dimensions
Height: 32.2 cm
Width: 24 cm
Width: 24 cm
Accession Number
D.1967.WS.49
Mode of Acquisition
William Wycliffe Spooner, bequest, 1967
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
Label Text
Thomas Girtin came into contact with a broad circle of antiquarians specialising in British medieval architecture through his work for James Moore, author of Monastic Remains and Ancient Castles in England and Wales (1791-3). He was employed to produce independent watercolours of sketches made by Moore on his travels, many of them depicting ruined ecclesiastical buildings such as this. As there is no evidence that Girtin ever visited Canterbury, this view could be another location, drawn after one of Moore’s drawings sketched elsewhere in Britain.
Provenance
James Moore (1762-1799); by descent in the Moore-Miller Collection; Victor Rienaecker (1887- after 1957), by June 1935; Guy D. Harvey Samuel, London (1887-1960); his property exhibited at Fine Art Society’s (London) Spring 1960 selling exhibition; purchased there by Mr and Mrs William Wycliffe Spooner, Ilkley (1882-1967), 27 April 1960 (£675); Spooner Bequest 1967
Exhibition History
Fortieth exhibition - early English water-colours and drawings., Fine Art Society, London, 1960 (Spring)
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
A Passion for Drawings, Collectors at the Courtauld, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 28/02/2002-09/06/2002 ...More
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
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
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
An exhibition of English drawings and water-colours, with special reference to Thomas Girtin (1775-1802), Ernest Brown & Phillips, London, 1912 ...Less
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
A Passion for Drawings, Collectors at the Courtauld, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 28/02/2002-09/06/2002 ...More
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
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
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
An exhibition of English drawings and water-colours, with special reference to Thomas Girtin (1775-1802), Ernest Brown & Phillips, London, 1912 ...Less
Literature
The Spooner Collection of British Watercolours, Courtauld Institute Galleries; Huntington Library; Wordsworth Trust, 2005-06
cat. no. 51
ill. on p. 175
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1979
cat. no. 38
Exhibition of Drawings and Watercolours from the Spooner and Witt Collections, Australia, New Zealand, 1976 - 1978
cat. no. 33 ...More
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1974
cat. no. 31
pl. IV
English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 1973
cat. no. 31
ill. (unpag.)
Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969
cat. no. 36
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1968
cat. no. 52
Girtin, Thomas and David Loshak, The art of Thomas Girtin: with a catalogue and 109 illustrations, London, 1954
no. 130
Davies, Randall, Thomas Girtin's water-colours, London, 1924
Fig. p. pl. 10 ...Less
cat. no. 51
ill. on p. 175
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1979
cat. no. 38
Exhibition of Drawings and Watercolours from the Spooner and Witt Collections, Australia, New Zealand, 1976 - 1978
cat. no. 33 ...More
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1974
cat. no. 31
pl. IV
English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 1973
cat. no. 31
ill. (unpag.)
Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969
cat. no. 36
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1968
cat. no. 52
Girtin, Thomas and David Loshak, The art of Thomas Girtin: with a catalogue and 109 illustrations, London, 1954
no. 130
Davies, Randall, Thomas Girtin's water-colours, London, 1924
Fig. p. pl. 10 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Inscription: Backing sheet (removed, but mounted with the drawing): lower right, graphite, not the artist's hand per Greg Smith: “St Augustine's Canterbury / Girtin / 1798 June 27th”; lower left, graphite: “Bar”. Mount (removed, cut down and in object file), Recto: graphite: “St Augustine’s Canterbury / Thos Girtin RWS / Inscribed on Back Girtin 1798 June 27th / Illustrated in Thos Girtin’s watercolours by / Randall Davies Plate 10. From the / Victor Reinaecker Collection / 25. 30/6/35.”. Verso: graphite: “38”.
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Backing sheet (removed, but mounted with the drawing): lower right, graphite, not the artist's hand per Greg Smith: “St Augustine's Canterbury / Girtin / 1798 June 27th”; lower left, graphite: “Bar”. Mount (removed, cut down and in object file), Recto: graphite: “St Augustine’s Canterbury / Thos Girtin RWS / Inscribed on Back Girtin 1798 June 27th / Illustrated in Thos Girtin’s watercolours by / Randall Davies Plate 10. From the / Victor Reinaecker Collection / 25. 30/6/35.”. Verso: graphite: “38”.
Collector's mark: none.
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