The Abbatial House, Abbey of St. Ouen, Rouen 1824 - 1831

John Sell Cotman made this watercolor of The Abbatial House at the Abbey of St. Ouen in Rouen. Cotman was part of a generation of English artists who turned to the continent in search of picturesque subjects. Made in the early nineteenth century, this image demonstrates the period’s fascination with medieval architecture as a source of national pride and identity. The watercolor aestheticizes a religious space through the inclusion of upper class figures in contemporary attire. By including these figures, the artist appropriates the space, and the history it represents, for the consumption of a contemporary audience. One might ask, what is the political impact of idealizing ecclesiastical spaces of the past when England was rapidly industrializing, and when the role of the church was being questioned? To better understand Cotman’s motives we might look into the institutions and patronage networks that supported his career, and the writings on medievalism that were circulating at the time. By understanding the cultural context of this image we can better understand its complex meanings.