Lot Essay
Nicholl painted the present drawing in the 1830s, by which time he had established himself as one of Ireland's leading landscape painters. He chose to depict the part of the Glen near Glenville House. The steep slopes of the banks rise up from a meadering stream, while towering trees shelter the secluded scene, creating a tunnel that leads the viewer's eye to the moss house in the centre of the composition.
To prevent the encroachment of Belfast, The National Trust acquired the Upper Glen in 1947.
To prevent the encroachment of Belfast, The National Trust acquired the Upper Glen in 1947.