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Royal Hospital for Seamen, Greenwich, from the north-east

Maker

(artist)
1778-1842

Title

Date of Production

(circa) 1822 - 1824

Medium

graphite, watercolour and bodycolour, with gum arabic and scratching out, on wove paper

Dimensions

Height: 33.6 cm
Width: 48.5 cm

Accession Number

D.1974.WS.97

Mode of Acquisition

Mary Spooner, gift, 1974

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

This sheet may have been one of three Greenwich subjects that Varley exhibited between 1822 and 1824. His earlier watercolours of the Thames are mostly naturalistic studies, rather than formally planned compositions such as this. All the pictorial elements, from the dark framing device of the landing stage, to the pale receding horizon, and contrasting warm and cool hues, are carefully arranged, in line with his precept that 'nature wants cooking'.

Provenance

H. Powell Harper; purchased from him by Colnaghi (London), 23 August 1961; purchased there by Mr and Mrs William Wycliffe Spooner, Ilkley (1882-1967), 20 November 1961 (£90); Spooner Gift 1974

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

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 ...More

John Varley: A Bicentenary Exhibition, Hackney, London, 18/08/1978-08/10/1978

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

English Water-Colours: Memorial Exhibition to William Wycliffe
Spooner, Harrogate, 1968 ...Less

Literature

The Spooner Collection of British Watercolours, Courtauld Institute Galleries; Huntington Library; Wordsworth Trust, 2005-06
cat. no. 60
ill. on p. 193

The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 115
ill. on p. 253

English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 1973
cat. no. 64 ...More

English Water-Colours: Memorial Exhibition to William Wycliffe Spooner, Harrogate, 1968
cat. no. 49 ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: Recto, right centre edge, the date cut off by the edge: "J WHATMAN / 1816".

Collector's mark: none.

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