
In Tate Britain
Prints and Drawings Room
View by appointment- Artist
- John Varley 1778–1842
- Medium
- Watercolour on paper
- Dimensions
- Support: 108 × 144 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Purchased as part of the Oppé Collection with assistance from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund 1996
- Reference
- T09321
Display caption
Varley was the most sought-after drawing master of his time and the author of several drawing manuals. He wrote: 'The true exercise of art consists in contrasting the round with the square, the light with the dark, the hard with the soft, the far with the near.' 'Blots' provided Varley with a quick and effective method for working out imaginary landscape compositions which met these requirements. He has used broad, quickly applied washes boldly to suggest the trees and riverbank, leaving the white of the paper to act as the highlights.
Gallery label, August 2004
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.
You might like
-
John Varley Near Duncombe Park, Yorkshire
date not known -
John Varley Holy Island Castle
?1810 -
John Varley View of Bodenham and the Malvern Hills, Herefordshire
1801 -
John Varley Suburbs of an Ancient City
1808 -
John Varley Composition: Wide Landscape with Castle and Distant Hills
date not known -
John Varley Landscape Composition, a Ruined Church in the Distance
date not known -
John Varley Composition, Forest Scene
date not known -
John Varley A Blot. Trees
date not known -
John Varley A Blot. Trees over a Lake
date not known -
John Varley Landscape with Trees
date not known -
John Varley Landscape with Trees
date not known -
John Varley Composition, a Castle over a River
date not known -
John Varley Sketch from Nature
date not known -
John Varley An Ancient Castle. Sketching Society Subject
1807 -
John Varley Landscape with River and Trees
date not known