Dryburgh Abbey, Berwickshire: The South Transept from the Cloister

Details

THOMAS GIRTIN (LONDON 1775-1802)
Dryburgh Abbey, Berwickshire: The South Transept from the Cloister
pencil and watercolour on paper
8 x 6 3/8 in. (20.5 x 16.2 cm.)

Provenance

Charles Plumptre Johnson; Sotheby's, London, 22 April 1942, lot 59, where acquired by the following,
Sabina Girtin, and by descent to
Tom Girtin.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 14 July 1994, lot 103, when acquired by the present owner.

Literature

T. Girtin and D. Loshak, The Art of Thomas Girtin, 1954, no. 193.
A. Bury, The Girtin Collection at the Royal Academy Diploma Gallery', Old Water-Colour Society’s Club Annual Volume, vol. 37, 1962, pp. 48–50, pl. 21.
G. Smith, Thomas Girtin, online edition, no. TG1121.

Exhibited

London, Thos Agnews & Sons, Loan Exhibition of Water-colour Drawings by Thomas Girtin 1953, no. 47.
Sheffield, Graves Art Gallery, Early Water Colours from the Collection of Thomas Girtin Junior, 1953, no. 45.
Leeds, City Art Gallery, Early English Water Colours, 1958, no. 43.
London, Royal Academy, The Girtin Collection: Watercolours by Thomas Girtin and Other Masters, 1962, no. 133.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve. This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

Girtin visited the Scottish Borders and the north-east of England in 1796, and this watercolour is probably based on an untraced sketch made on that trip, as another pencil drawing of the west wall of the refectory of Dryburgh survives from that trip (Smith, op.cit., TG1118). Although Girtin made another trip to the Borders in 1800, this watercolour stylistically dates to 1796-7. Dryburgh Abbey was a natural subject for Girtin, with its ruined church and monastic buildings on a wooded loop of the River Tweed providing a highly picturesque landscape. Its owner, the Earl of Buchan (1742-1829) enhanced the site’s idyllic charms through careful but minimal landscaping. He hosted Girtin on his later tour of the area.

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