Prints and Drawings Room
View by appointment- Artist
- John Varley 1778–1842
- Medium
- Watercolour on paper
- Dimensions
- Support: 91 × 131 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Purchased as part of the Oppé Collection with assistance from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund 1996
- Reference
- T09294
Display caption
Varley painted many small, imaginary landscape sketches from the late 1830s onwards, and it is most likely that this drawing dates from this period. He advocated simplifying compositions, and the 'blot' method devised by Cozens was a particularly useful way of achieving this. He was very adept at the use of flat washes and this has been taken to extremes in this landscape 'blot'. A very wet ink was quickly put down in the central trees with a fully loaded brush. A drier brush was used for the surface of the lake.
Gallery label, August 2004
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