In Tate Britain
Prints and Drawings Room
View by appointment- Artist
- Alexander Cozens 1717–1786 and a pupil
- Medium
- Ink on paper. Verso: ink on paper
- Dimensions
- Support: 480 x 382 mm
frame (Imperial): 725 x 550 x 25 mm - Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Purchased as part of the Oppé Collection with assistance from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund 1996
- Reference
- T08197
Display caption
Cozens published a drawing manual called A New Method of Assisting the Invention... of Landscape in 1786, which demonstrated one of his schemes for inventing landscape compositions. He recommended the use of the chance associations which semi-randomly applied 'blots' of ink would produce in the mind to create new compositions. When making a blot, Cozens wrote, 'you must first possess your mind strongly with the subject'. Here Cozens or a pupil has used a large brush loaded with dense black ink, working quickly to lay down the main forms, and using overlapping dabs of ink to complete the image.
Gallery label, August 2004
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