Not on display
- Artist
- Francis Towne 1739–1816
- Medium
- Ink and watercolour on paper
- Dimensions
- Support: 310 x 212 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Purchased as part of the Oppé Collection with assistance from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund 1996
- Reference
- T08147
Display caption
The river Arveyron is a short tributary of the river Arvea and rises from the base of the Glacier des Bois in Chamonix. In this watercolour, Towne virtually disregards traditional perspective, and gives an almost abstract vision of the landscape. Swiss subjects had already been treated by a few English artists before Towne's own visit to the Alps in 1781. Towne was, however, the first artist to emphasise the visionary grandeur of the landscape at the expense of artistic convention.
Gallery label, September 2004
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.
Features
Lure of the wild: Watercolour II
The artist Francis Towne’s near abstract eighteenth-century watercolours of Swiss glaciers were to inspire Eric Ravilious more than a century ...
Explore
- nature(46,524)
- places(42,589)
- countries and continents(17,992)
- France(3,602)
- natural features (non-UK)(4,904)
- Alps(957)
- Glacier des Bois(7)
- River Arveyron(12)
- Val de Chamonix(29)
- countries and continents(17,992)
You might like
Francis Towne The Source of the Rhine
1781
Francis Towne Near Mount Splügen
1781
Francis Towne Going up Mount Splügen
1781
Francis Towne Top of the Splügen Pass. I
date not known
Francis Towne Lake of Uri
date not known
Francis Towne Lake of Lugano
1781
Francis Towne Lake of Como. No. 26
date not known
Francis Towne Monte Cavo, II
1781
Francis Towne Le Rêve
1781
Francis Towne Wallenstadt
1781
Francis Towne La Chapérieux
1781
Francis Towne Lake of Como
1781
Francis Towne Landscape No. 1
1780
Francis Towne Toward the Head of the Lake of Como
1781
Francis Towne The Top of the Splügen Pass. II
date not known