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Lot Essay
The present watercolour was executed on Cotman's second and last trip to Wales, in the company of Paul Sandby Munn in 1802. Kitson writes 'On emerging from the Llanberis Pass they drew the romantic ruin of Dolbadern Castle, which had already been painted by Richard Wilson and Turner' (see S.D. Kitson, The Life of John Sell Cotman, London, 1937, p. 44).
Turner's painting of the castle, his diploma piece, was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1800. The castle appears to evoke a sense of the sublime in both Turner and Cotman, who have both chosen a fitting palette for such a haunting and romantic subject. In his early works such as the present watercolour we see Cotman's vision of the romantic picturesque starting to develop, and we also see his sense of abstract design that was to play such a focal part in his painting.
In 1824 Cotman exhibited a large watercolour, 20 x 28 in. with the title Snowdon with the Lake of Llanberris, from Dolbadern Castle, North Wales which in 1937 was in the collection of the Misses Bulwer. Kitson describes this as based on a sketch made in 1802, possibly the present watercolour. He is also known to have published a series of soft-ground etchings of castles in North Wales including Dolbadern, between 1808 and 1809.
The verso of the present watercolour was considered by Miklos Rajnai to be by Paul Sandby Munn, Cotman's companion on his 1802 trip and his landlord in London. There is, however, no real reason why it should not be by Cotman himself as stylistically, with its glimpse through trees to an illuminated distance it can be compared to watercolours such as The Devil's Bridge, Cardigan, dated 1801 (see John Sell Cotman 1782-1842, London, exhibition catalogue, 1982-3, p. 40, no. 4 illustrated). The drawing seems to show some poetic subject and can be associated with Cotman's membership of the Sketching Society in London, of which he was a leading member from 1801 or 1802 until he returned to Norwich in 1806.
Turner's painting of the castle, his diploma piece, was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1800. The castle appears to evoke a sense of the sublime in both Turner and Cotman, who have both chosen a fitting palette for such a haunting and romantic subject. In his early works such as the present watercolour we see Cotman's vision of the romantic picturesque starting to develop, and we also see his sense of abstract design that was to play such a focal part in his painting.
In 1824 Cotman exhibited a large watercolour, 20 x 28 in. with the title Snowdon with the Lake of Llanberris, from Dolbadern Castle, North Wales which in 1937 was in the collection of the Misses Bulwer. Kitson describes this as based on a sketch made in 1802, possibly the present watercolour. He is also known to have published a series of soft-ground etchings of castles in North Wales including Dolbadern, between 1808 and 1809.
The verso of the present watercolour was considered by Miklos Rajnai to be by Paul Sandby Munn, Cotman's companion on his 1802 trip and his landlord in London. There is, however, no real reason why it should not be by Cotman himself as stylistically, with its glimpse through trees to an illuminated distance it can be compared to watercolours such as The Devil's Bridge, Cardigan, dated 1801 (see John Sell Cotman 1782-1842, London, exhibition catalogue, 1982-3, p. 40, no. 4 illustrated). The drawing seems to show some poetic subject and can be associated with Cotman's membership of the Sketching Society in London, of which he was a leading member from 1801 or 1802 until he returned to Norwich in 1806.