The lake at Burghley House (recto); and Trees in an extensive wooded landscape (verso)

Details

Peter de Wint, O.W.S. (1784-1849)
The lake at Burghley House (recto); and Trees in an extensive wooded landscape (verso)
pencil and watercolour
6 3/8 x 9 5/8 in. (16.2 x 24.4 cm.)

Provenance

Anon. sale; Sotheby's, London, 13 November 1997, lot 81 (sold £10,810).

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Lot Essay

The present view is taken from the Lion Bridge at the west end of the lake at Burghley House. The park and lake were the creation of Lancelot 'Capabilty' Brown, who laid out the grounds for the 9th Earl of Exeter in 1775. Brown created the twenty-two acre lake by damming and built the Lion Bridge to cross over it. The trees on the knoll today are those planted over two hundred years ago. Brown even provided for a causeway to allow cattle to graze on the other side of the lake, the top of which is a couple of inches below the water level of the lake. The present watercolour is unusual in that de Wint has captured not only the mood and atmosphere of a locality with his fluid brush strokes, but has also chosen to depict the exact topography of a view.

We are grateful to John Ellis for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.

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