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Image

Thomas Girtin

Lady Chapel on the river Wansbeck near Bothal in Northumberland

Description

Maker

Thomas Girtin (British, 1775-1802)

Title

Lady Chapel on the river Wansbeck near Bothal in Northumberland

Year

1798/1799

Medium

  • Watercolor and ink applied with brush,
  • and graphite

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Watercolor and ink applied with brush,
  • and graphite

Materials

watercolor, ink

Supports

  • Cream paper

Dimensions

17.5 x 27.5 cm (6 7/8 x 10 13/16 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Anonymous gift

Object Number

71.153.5

Type

  • Drawings and Watercolors

Projects & Publications

Publications

  • Books

A Handbook of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

  • Books

Selection II: British Watercolors and Drawings from the Museum's Collection

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Luminous Landscapes
British Watercolors from the Museum's Collection
May 27, 2005 – Aug 14, 2005

Label copy

This work is believed to represent the ruins of the 13th-century abbey Valle Crucis (Valley of the Cross) in North Wales. It is a subject that Girtin depicted several times, but because he portrayed only a fragment here, it cannot be identified with certainty. Its role is to heighten the moodiness of the shadowy setting that points up the lone, despondent woman lit by sunlight streaming through the trees. In Girtin’s short life, he developed a broad-ranged handling of the medium and a rich expressiveness that was recognized along with Turner’s contributions as instrumental in elevating watercolor to a serious art medium in the 1790s.

Transformations of the Court Style
Gothic Art in Europe 1270-1330
Feb 02, 1977 – Feb 27, 1977
Selection II
British Watercolors and Drawings from the Museum's Collection
Apr 13, 1972 – May 14, 1972

Use & Feedback

Image use

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Thomas Girtin (British, 1775-1802)
Lady Chapel on the river Wansbeck near Bothal in Northumberland, 1798/1799
Watercolor and ink applied with brush, and graphite
17.5 x 27.5 cm (6 7/8 x 10 13/16 inches)
Anonymous gift 71.153.5

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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