Caernarvon Castle (Night)

1776

Paul Sandby

Associated Names
Paul Sandby

Artist, British, 1731 - 1809

Robert Pollard

Artist, British, 1755 - 1838

The image shows Caernarvon Castle from a distance, with a body of water in the foreground. The castle dominates the right side of the scene, with buildings and towers meeting the sky at the horizon just above the water level. The brushstrokes are meticulous, capturing architectural details and light and shadow. The color palette is mainly sepia, giving the image an aged feel. A figure with a horse is near the water's edge, while sailboats can be seen in the distance. Buildings with illuminated windows are visible, reflecting on the water. The sky is partly cloudy, with the moon shining through breaks in the clouds, creating a peaceful night setting.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching, aquatint, and lift-ground aquatint printed in brown on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Paul Mellon Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 23.8 × 31.5 cm (9 3/8 × 12 3/8 in.)
    book (volume closed): 46 × 32 (18 1/8 × 12 5/8)

  • Accession Number

    2004.119.1.31

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Gunn 2015, no. 221

  • Series Title

    Twelve Views in North Wales, 1776 (Plate 8)

  • Volume Title

    Album of Views in England and Wales

Associated Artworks

See all 47 artworks

Paul Sandby Esq; F.R.A.

Robert Pollard, Robert Pollard

1780

Album of Views in England and Wales

Paul Sandby, Robert Pollard

1775

Windsor Castle from the N.W.

Paul Sandby, Robert Pollard

1776

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

2006

  • The Artist's Vision: Romantic Traditions in Great Britain, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2006 - 2007

2008

  • Medieval to Modern: Recent Acquisitions of Drawings, Prints, and Illustrated Books, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2008, no. 134 b.

Bibliography

1835

  • Nagler, G.K. Neues allgemeines Kunstler-Lexikon, oder Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Werken der Maler, Bildhauer, Baumeister, Kupferstecher, Formschneider, Lithographen, Zeichner, Medailleure, Elfenbeinarbeiter, etc.. 22 vols. Munich: E.A. Fleischmann: no. 25

2015

  • Gunn, Ann V. The Prints of Paul Sandby (1731 - 1809). Turnhout, 2015: no. 221

2021

  • Hoisington, Rena. Aquatint: From Its Origins to Goya. Washington, 2021: 99, fig. 8.

Inscriptions

Upper left in plate: No. 8.; lower right in plate: P. Sandby Fecit.; lower center in plate: CAERNARVON CASTLE.; lower left in plate: Publish'd according to Act of Parliament by P. Sandby St. Georges Row Sepr. 1st. 1776.

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