'View of Copped Hall in Essex, from across the Lake', George Lambert, Francis Hayman

Artwork details

Artists

George Lambert (1700‑1765)

Francis Hayman (1708‑1776)

Title

View of Copped Hall in Essex, from across the Lake

Date 1746

MediumOil paint on canvas

Dimensionssupport: 917 x 1215 x 85 mm

Collection

Tate

Acquisition Purchased with assistance from the Patrons of British Art through the Tate Gallery Foundation, the Art Fund and a group of donors 1999

Reference

T07556

Not on display

Summary

This work is the companion piece of View of Copped Hall in Essex, from the Park (Tate T07555). The manor of Copped Hall was first recorded in the Middle Ages. The original owner was the huge monastery at Waltham but the Hall and estates passed to the Crown during the years of dissolution (1536-9) under Henry VIII (ruled 1509-47). The ownership of the Hall passed through several hands until it was purchased (probably in 1739) by Edward Conyers of Walthamstow, Member of Parliament for East Grinstead. His son, John Conyers (1717-75), who commissioned the Lambert views, was Member of Parliament for Reading (1747-54) and for Essex (1772-5).

Lambert's views subtly allude to the history of the estate and connect the house with its previous ownership. The fisherman and the straight-edged banks in the present work show that this is a fishpond rather than an ornamental lake - an essential resource, like the shooting of deer indicated in the companion picture, for provisioning a country house. Fishponds were associated with ancient monastic properties, while deer parks (and swans) hinted at the Hall's earlier royal privileges… (read more)