Little is known of the Welsh artist Moses Griffith. The scant documentation derives mainly from passing references made by his patron, Thomas Pennant of Downing (1726-1798), a Welsh naturalist, traveller, writer and antiquarian. Griffith worked for him as a servant from 1769, accompanying Pennant on various travels through Scotland (1769), Cumberland (1773), Yorkshire and Derbyshire (1777), and Cornwall (1787). Each tour started at Pennant’s home and related in detail the route, the scenery, the habits and activities of the people he met, their customs and the wildlife he saw or heard about. During these travels, Griffith was Pennant's personal draughtsman, sketching the places, people and things they encountered, later to work these up into illustrations that complemented the books published by Pennant relating the journeys (The British Zoology, 1761-1767; A Tour in Wales, 1778-1781; A Tour in Scotland, 1772; Literary Life, 1793; and others).

This drawing and D.2018.ST.3 illustrate two views of Kenilworth castle in Warwickshire. They were probably part of an album of 105 topographical views that was sold in 1938, and then dismembered.

probably part of an album of 105 topographical views, acquired from the artist by his patron, Thomas Pennant (1726-1798); by descent to his granddaughter, married to William Basil Percy Feilding, 7th Earl of Denbigh (1796-1865); by descent to Rudolph, Viscount Feilding (1885–1937); his sale, Christie’s (London), 4 July 1938, part of lot 250; purchased there by Walker’s Galleries (London) (exhibited by them with more than 100 others in February 1939); anonymous sale, Sotheby's (London), 31 October 1962, lot 29 (a parcel of drawings); purchased there by Michael Appleby (£45, with D.2018.ST.3 among others); Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers (Stansted Mountfitchet), 25 July 2006; Abbott and Holder (London), 2012 or later (their labels on frame, and listed on their website as sold stock); Guy Peppiatt Gallery, by 2017; purchased there by the Spooner Charitable Trust for the Samuel Courtauld Trust, 2018

An exhibition of watercolour drawings by Moses Griffith (1747-1819), Walker's Galleries, London, 1939

Watermark: Watermark: centre: "I*VILLERY" (this iteration doesn't match anything in Heawood or Churchill).

Inscription: Recto: lower left margin, grey ink, signed and dated: “Moses Griffith delint 1776” and below that in graphite the cat. no. from Walker's 1939 exhibition: “102”; lower centre, grey ink, tiled in open letters in imitation of lettering on a print: “KELINWORTH [sic] CASTLE”. Verso: upper left, graphite: “250”; upper right corner, graphite, partially concealed under tape: “549 / COH”; lower left, printed in black on an adhered label: “By MOSES GRIFFITH / B. 1747 D. 1819 / From the Thomas Pennant and / Earl of Denbigh collections”; lower left edge, graphite: “Kenelworth [sic]”; lower right, graphite, circled: “25”; lower right corner, graphite, circled: “78700”. Mount (removed, recorded in acquisition report): inside backboard, lower right corner, graphite: “WILL 25”.

Collector's mark: none.

Label: On frame, now removed but recorded in acquisition report: “ABBOTT and HOLDER / 30, Museum street, London WC1A 1L / www.abbottandholder.co.uk / Tel: 020 7637 3981”; “ABBOT and HOLDER / MOSES GRIFFITHS (1747-1879) / Warwickshire Kelinworth (sic Kenilworth) Castle / pen brush and ink signed, inscribed and dated 1776. EX / Collection Earl of Denbigh”.