Village along a River Estuary in Devon

1797/1798

Thomas Girtin

Associated Names
Thomas Girtin

Artist, British, 1775 - 1802

The image depicts a landscape with a broad expanse. The horizon is low in the composition above buildings and ship masts on the distant shore. The sky occupies most of the upper portion of the painting. Buildings with red-tile roofs and whitewashed walls line the shore, with ships' masts rising above them. The brushstrokes indicate a watercolor technique, giving a soft texture to the scene. The color palette is earthy with browns, greens, and grays. Cattle are resting on dark sand or soil in the foreground. Hills are visible in the distance with buildings reflecting in the water.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Samuel William Reynolds (1773-1835); Elizabeth Weddell (1749-1831); by inheritance to her nephew, Sir John Charles Ramsden; Charles Russell; Miss K. G. Robinson (sale, Sotheby's, London, 21 November 1985, no. 97); (Leger Galleries, London); purchased 1987 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1987

  • English Drawings and Watercolors, 1630-1850, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1987-1988, no cat.

2006

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

Bibliography

1985

  • Sotheby's, London, 11/21/85: no.97.

1986

  • Sotheby's, Art at Auction, 1985-1986, p.48.

  • Leger Galleries: 11/19-12/24/1986. no.9.

1992

  • Leger Galleries, British Landscape Painting, 3/4-4/3/92: fig. 50 (as The River Taw, looking towards Appledore.

2002

  • Thomas Girtin: The Art of Watercolour. Exh. cat. Tate Britain, London, 2002: 257-258 (fig. 48 and 50 are incorrectly labeled; fig. 50 is by Girtin and belongs to the National Gallery of Art).

Inscriptions

lower center in watercolor: Girtin

Wikidata ID

Q64633216

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