Peter de Wint (1784-1849) is regarded as one of the preeminent watercolourists of his day. A member of, and a frequent exhibitor at, the Old Water Colour Society, he is best known for his views of the city of Lincoln and of its surrounding countryside, which range from panoramic landscapes to exquisitely observed scenes of rural life.

The present work has its origins in De Wint’s last major sketching tour, undertaken in September 1848 to Exeter and the River Dart. The choice of Devon for this tour was based on his failing health and he was unable to produce much work, apart from a few very productive days in Exeter; this large panoramic watercolour would have been worked up in the studio from sketches made on the spot. It shows a view of Exeter from the south, from the banks of the Exe, with the cathedral visible in the centre and the houses of Colleton Crescent, built in the 1820s, to its left. The river and its tree-lined banks occupy the foreground, with two small figures climbing steps to a cottage at right and a group of cattle and a small boat at left. The use of white bodycolour, which is applied especially thickly at right, is typical of De Wint’s late work

Mrs Day, 1884; Thomas Agnew & Sons (London) (no. 46689 according to label on backboard); Prudential Corporation Plc, 1995 (until 29 May 1999, when removed by Prudential's consultant Tom Tempest-Radford, according to label on backboard); anonymous sale, Christie's (London), 17 November 2005, lot 60; private collection until 2017; Christie's (London), 5 July 2017, lot 117; purchased there by Guy Peppiatt Fine Art (London) (£6,250); purchased there by the Spooner Charitable Trust as a gift to the Samuel Courtauld Trust, September 2019 Another label on backboard has this as lot or catalogue number 77 and says it is illustrated on the front cover.

The Perfection of England - Artist visitors to Devon, Djanogly Art Museum, Nottingham, 07/10/1995-12/11/1995

The Perfection of England - Artist visitors to Devon, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, 27/06/1995-09/09/1995

Loan collection of water-colour drawings and sketches by P. De Wint, J.&W. Vokins, London, 1884 ...More

The Perfection of England: Artist Visitors to Devon c.1750-1870, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter; Djanogly Art Gallery, University of Nottingham, 1995 Plymouth, University of Plymouth, 1995
cat. no. 16
ill. on p. 55

Watermark: Watermark: none evident in raking light but unable to see verso or use transmitted light as is laid down on two secondary supports.

Inscription: none visible on drawing but unable to see verso as is laid down. Backboard: upper left edge, white chalk: “DRG”; right centre, white chalk: “LOT 60 / 17.11.05”; lower right, black stencil: “WD199”. Frame (looking at it from the front): inner upper centre edge, graphite: “989”; outer lower right corner, black ink, second line abraded: “533 / […]”.

Collector's mark: none (though unable to see verso as is laid down).

Label: Backboard: upper centre edge, typed in black: “SS/W18 “Exeter” / by Peter de Wint”; upper right corner, on round green sticker, black ballpoint: “60 / 17.11.05”; upper left, printed in black and blue with small colour reproduction of drawing, partly abraded: “de Wint / Peter / 31.1 x […] / View of […] / Watercolour / 1848 / […] / Removed 29 3 99 / Packed / Stored Installed / TEMPEST RADFORD”; lower left, on white sticker, written in black ballpoint with blue circle: “DE WINT / W18 / N2 GNME / MOVE 2.”; lower centre, printed in black: “THOS. AGNEW & SONS.LTD.. / No. 46689 / LONDON. / 43 OLD BOND STREET, / PICCADILLY, W1X 4BA”; below that, printed in black: “77 PETER DE WINT (1784-1849) / Exeter / 12 ¼ x 38 5/8 in. (31.2 x 98.1 cm.) / Collection: Mrs. Day, 1884 / Exhibited: Old Water Colour Society 1849 (276); J. & W. / Vokins Peter de Wint Centenary Exhibition, 1884 (89) / See Illustration on Front Cover”. Frame (looking at it from the front): outer upper left corner, on white sticker, red ink: “485”.