The Thames near Richmond

by-nc

Maker

(artist)
1779-1853

Title

The Thames near Richmond

Date of Production

c. 1811

Medium

Graphite, watercolour and opaque watercolour on wove paper (page from a sketchbook)

Dimensions

Height: 12.7 cm
Width: 20.5 cm

Object Number

D.2026.MB.17

Mode of Acquisition

Michael Broughton, gift, 2026

Credit

Courtauld Gallery, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust). Michael Broughton bequest, 2026

Label Text

Apparently working from a boat mid-stream, Mary Smirke used minute brushstrokes to create the shimmering reflections on a quiet stretch of the Thames west of London. Despite its small size, the exquisite precision of this watercolour earned it a place on the walls of the Great Room – the largest and most prestigious space – in the Royal Academy’s 1812 exhibition at Somerset House, where the Courtauld Gallery is now located.

Smirke was an ambitious artist who drew prolifically. She exhibited at the Royal Academy every year between 1809–1814, although she was sometimes hindered by her artist father, who was on the hanging committee. One year, dissatisfied with the placement of her work, he had it removed from the show altogether.

Provenance

The Manning Galleries, London; Judy Egerton (1928-2012); Abbott & Holder, London; private collection, Suffolk; Abbott & Holder, London, 2023, where acquired by Michael Broughton (1944-2026), Watford; Michael Broughton bequest, 2026

Exhibition History

A View of One's Own, Landscapes by British Women Artists, 1760-1860, Courtauld Gallery, London, 28/01/2026-20/05/2026

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