Harlech Castle and Snowdon

c. 1805

John Varley

Associated Names
John Varley

Artist, British, 1778 - 1842

The image depicts a landscape with a castle in a valley. Mountains are in the distance under a soft sky. The castle, stone with cylindrical towers, stands in the middle. There are rooftops indicating a village around it. The painting uses detailed brushstrokes for a realistic effect. The nearby land is brown and green, and foliage is in muted greens and browns. The color scheme is dominated by cool blues and grays, creating a serene atmosphere. Figures with a cart and animals are present in the middle ground.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor over graphite with sponging-out on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    Overall: 28.8 x 50.7 cm (11 5/16 x 19 15/16 in.)
    mat: 55.9 x 71.1 cm (22 x 28 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1992.96.2

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Martyn Gregory Gallery, London (sold, April 1986); Dr. Ian Craft, London, 1986 (sold Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox Ltd., London, 1992); purchased by NGA, 1992.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1993

  • The Great Age of British Watercolors 1750-1880, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1993.

2006

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

Inscriptions

by later hand, lower right verso in graphite: 42

Wikidata ID

Q64584418

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