Grotto Interior

c. 1850

David Cox

Associated Names
David Cox

Artist, British, 1783 - 1859

The painting depicts the interior of a cave with a view towards an opening in the distance. The focus is on the cavern interior with a glimpse of light from the opening. The brushstrokes are loose and fluid, with layered washes of watercolor creating textured surfaces resembling rocky structures. The color palette consists of earthy tones like browns, grays, and muted blues, evoking a dim, natural atmosphere with faint light beyond. The overall impression is one of dimness and enclosure within the cave, with subtle light hinting at an exit or outside space in the distance.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor over graphite on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Donald Stone

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 41.9 × 57.1 cm (16 1/2 × 22 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.151.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Private collection, UK; (sale, Sotheby's, London, 25 November 1999, no. 83; unsold). (sale, Sotheby's, London, 30 November 2000, no. 273). (sale, Sotheby's, New York, 28 January 2015, no. 41B); (Stephen Ongpin, London) for Donald Stone, New York; gift to NGA in 2015.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2023

  • Drawing in Britain, 1700 - 1900: New Additions to the Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2023.

Wikidata ID

Q64540795

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