Warwick Castle

Details

Francis Towne (1739-1816)
Warwick Castle
with inscription 'Warwick Castle Aug 27. 1813./Francis Towne' (on the old mount, overmounted)
pencil, pen and grey ink and watercolour, on two joined sheets
7 x 20 5/8 in. (17.8 x 52.4 cm.)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Sale room notice

Two further views of Warwick are known to exist and were with Walker's Galleries in 1944. The 1813 sketchbok was acquires by Walker's Galleries in 1927 from the Misses Merivale and the present drawing was probably exhibited at the Walker Galleries in 1828.

We are grateful to Richard Stephens for this information.

Lot Essay

This is likely to be Towne's only view of Warwick castle; a view of Oxford, numbered '4' and dated '25 August 1813', is in the Ashmolean Museum; the day after visiting Warwick, Towne made at least two single-page drawings at Kenilworth Castle; 'no.6' dated 28 August, was sold Christie's, London, 10 July 1984 lot 190 'no.7' was sold, Christie's, London, 8 July 1986 lot 113. A futher drawing of Kenilworth was Christie's, London 134 March 1978, lot 93. After this visit to the Midlands, Towne headed to Devon, visiting Clovelly, Tiverton and Ilfracombe.

For further information on drawings from the 1813 sketchbook see lot 49 and Tate cat. 70 & 71.

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