Thatched cottage surrounded by trees
Maker
(artist)
1833-1867
1833-1867
Title
Thatched cottage surrounded by trees
Date of Production
(circa) 1860
Medium
graphite and watercolour on wove paper
Dimensions
Height: 24.5 cm
Width: 17.2 cm
Width: 17.2 cm
Accession Number
D.1980.WS.36
Mode of Acquisition
Mary Spooner, gift, 1980
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Copyright
Work in the public domain
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
watercolors
Label Text
The purpose of this drawing, with its meticulous observations, is unclear. Most of Davis’s work consists of genre paintings rather than landscape and it seems unlikely that it was intended as a preparatory sketch. The notes, apparently written after he had left the scene, are almost obsessive in their detail and seem to suggest an artist intent on an exercise in drawing, either for pure enjoyment or to train his powers of observation.
Provenance
Mrs Mary Spooner; Spooner Gift 1980 See Long Description for note re: provenance.
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
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
Literature
The Spooner Collection of British Watercolours, Courtauld Institute Galleries; Huntington Library; Wordsworth Trust, 2005-06
cat. no. 82
ill. on p. 237
cat. no. 82
ill. on p. 237
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower left, graphite, artist’s notes: "height of Elms equal h from top of chimney to lower edge of shed. / "Boy in this position, the same. / hedge curving round into shade - the dead parts + thin - purply / the tree by broken rail - trunk partially shewn, its thin foliage allowing / wall + garden ground to be seen thro: it of a greyer colour / the grass diversified by dead leaves dead standing grass of browner colour. + / brown + yellow broken stick / + earth showing thro: / the Elms might be finer and considrially higher - with decayed yellow parts. / at the time the pear tree was red + yellow as in drawing of it. most of the Elms / retained their strength of colour + had more or less of yellow parts"; lower left, graphite: "2 hours"; lower centre, black ink, signed, first 2 letters in monogram: "Edavis"; lower right, graphite: "xx / by Edward Davis (1833-67)". Verso: centre, graphite, framed in rectangle: "00". Backing paper (removed, cut down and adhered to modern mount), graphite: "HJLW".
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower left, graphite, artist’s notes: "height of Elms equal h from top of chimney to lower edge of shed. / "Boy in this position, the same. / hedge curving round into shade - the dead parts + thin - purply / the tree by broken rail - trunk partially shewn, its thin foliage allowing / wall + garden ground to be seen thro: it of a greyer colour / the grass diversified by dead leaves dead standing grass of browner colour. + / brown + yellow broken stick / + earth showing thro: / the Elms might be finer and considrially higher - with decayed yellow parts. / at the time the pear tree was red + yellow as in drawing of it. most of the Elms / retained their strength of colour + had more or less of yellow parts"; lower left, graphite: "2 hours"; lower centre, black ink, signed, first 2 letters in monogram: "Edavis"; lower right, graphite: "xx / by Edward Davis (1833-67)". Verso: centre, graphite, framed in rectangle: "00". Backing paper (removed, cut down and adhered to modern mount), graphite: "HJLW".
Collector's mark: none.
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