amateur sketch
light pencil work
pencil sketch
incomplete sketchy
charcoal drawing
possibly oil pastel
pencil drawing
watercolour illustration
mixed medium
watercolor
Dimensions: height 221 mm, width 295 mm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
Cornelius Varley made this watercolor entitled ‘View of Moel Siabod from Beddgelert, North Wales’ in 1803. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Britain saw a surge of artistic interest in landscape painting. The Romantic movement, in particular, placed great emphasis on the awe-inspiring power of nature. This work reflects that sensibility, but is also indicative of a specific social practice; that of the picturesque tour. Artists and wealthy tourists would travel to rural areas, often recently made more accessible by new transport networks, and sketch the scenery. These sketches were informed by aesthetic ideals developed by writers, artists, and the cultural elite. Varley’s image presents a carefully constructed composition designed to appeal to a market for picturesque views. By studying the institutions, the travel guides, the critical writings, and the exhibition culture of this period, we can gain a deeper understanding of how art both reflects and shapes our understanding of nature.
Comments
Cornelius Varley was a scientist by profession. He painted watercolours above all for his own pleasure. Between 1800 and 1805 he produced a series of sensitive studies of nature, which he often deliberately left unfinished and devoid of detail. Already in Varley’s own time other artists greatly admired these unconventional works, which were thus of seminal importance for English landscape art.
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