Early 19th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

KARL YENS (1868 – 1945) (FLOWERS) 1919 Color monotype signed, dated and annotated: “monotype 1919.” 17 ½” x 11 ½” Monotypes are unique works of art that fall between printmaking a...

This fine early 19th-century watercolour by British artist Amos Green (1735-1807) depicts an asperous gorge near Ingleton in Yorkshire. On either side of a shallow river, trees clin...

A beautifully drawn view of Ostia near Rome by one of the foremost 19th Century British artists and personalities. Edward Lear (1812-1888) Ostia Signed, inscribed and dated, Ostia/ ...

Gouache of a Shipwreck in a Storm with Gothic Ruins, Early 19th Century Technique: Gouache on paper Period: Early 19th century Description: This romantic painting depicts a dramatic ...

A very attractive and meticulously executed view of a rocky landscape within the woods dating to 1823. This would suit a library or study with its muted tones and skifull draughtsmanship. William Nicholson (1781-1844) Near Croxdale Hall Signed with initials and inscribed with title and date 1823 Pen, ink and grey wash 11 x 8 inches, image only 17 x 13 inches without frame The portrait-painter and etcher William Nicholson was born in Ovingham-on-Tyne, Northumberland, on Christmas Day 1781. His family transferred to Newcastle when his father was appointed Headmaster of the city's Grammar School. At an early age, though, Nicholson appears to have moved to Hull where he made his artistic debut, painting miniatures of officers garrisoned there. He was almost entirely self-taught, learning his craft through the close study of artworks in private and public galleries. He subsequently returned to Newcastle where he received many commissions to paint portraits of the old families of Northumberland. In 1808, he began to exhibit at the Royal Academy, continuing to do so until 1822. By 1814, Nicholson, whose mother was a Scot, had moved to Edinburgh where he set up as a miniaturist and painter in oils. Soon, however, he began to specialize in watercolour portraits. Early subjects included the actor Daniel Terry and the poet and novelist James Hogg. In 1818 he began to publish a series of Portraits of Eminent Scotsmen, etched from his own portraits and those of other painters. Besides Scott and Hogg, the subjects included the writers Robert Burns, John Wilson ('Christopher North'), and Lord Jeffrey, the painters Sir Henry Raeburn, the divines Alexander Carlyle and Alexander Cameron, the engineer James Watt, the architect John Playfair, and the song-collector and composer George Thomson...

A charming mountain landscape with a hermit resting against a wooden post. The artist captures the view in fine detail, from the foreground foliage right through to the distant mount...

Black crayon and graphite with white heightening on blue handmade laid paper. Adhered at all four corners to a period support, on which the title and an illegible date (perhaps 1815) appear to be written in the artist's hand. ________ Aglio was born in Cremona is 1777 and his artistic talent was recognized early in his life. He was promised a place at the University in Milan by the Holy Roman Emperor, however, his formal education was upended before it even began by the invasion of Italy and Austria by Napoleon. Aglio joined the war effort and fought in a series of major battles near Venice before becoming seriously ill. At the age of about 23 he was released from duty, and traveled to Rome to focus on his health, and landscape painting. In Rome, Aglio studied with the renowned artist Campovecchio. At the invitation of well known British architect William Wilkins (designer of the National Gallery and University College London), Aglio relocated to London in 1803. He made London his permanent home, and married Letitia Clarke in 1805. He enjoyed a lucrative career painting frescoes in the interiors of high society townhouses, country manors, and major London concert halls and theaters. Most notably, Aglio painted multiple official portraits of Queen Victoria...

A Day out in the Highlands Scottish School, circa 1830's period original watercolour painting on paper unframed painting: 12.75 x 16.5 inches A lovely tranquil scene of figures enj...

A charming depiction of figures in abbey ruins. Signed and dated in the lower right. Presented in a gilt frame. On paper.

A delightful rustic scene dating to circa 1800 with the sailor returning to his thankful wife and the domestic idyll of his country cottage. The harbour with sailing ships ferrying c...

A certificate of authenticity from Mr. Michel Rodrigue accompanies the work. Conditions : Good overall Conditions. Older restauration in the upper part under UV light. Canvas relined...

Landscape with men and horses is a beautiful ink and pencil drawing. Due to the concerned subject matter and the typology of the image, it is assumed th...

An intricate watercolour scene by highly collectable artist Henry Schafer (1833-1916). Signed and titled to the lower right. Presented in a gilt frame with a ribbon and stick running...

French School, first half of the 19th century Le Lavoir (The washing place) Watercolor and pencil heightened with white gouache Bears a monogramm R P B on the lower left 21.5 x 33.5 cm Collector mark of Maurice Gobin on the back (Lugt L.1124a) In quite good condition: doubled on the back, a repaired tear on the upper border In a modern cardboard...

To see our other views of Oxford and Cambridge , particularly suitable for wedding and graduation presents, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from...

Drawing Pencil on paper, 17.7 x 26.7 inch; with gilded frame 28.3 x 37 inch The scene is set on the seashore, in the part were the stormy sea is licking the land, made of a rocky an...

French Romantic School beginning of the 19th Century View of Arriccia, 1828 located and dated, "Arriccia 1828" on the lower right Pencil on paper 23 x ...

Ink and wash in black ink with pen in black ink on watermarked C & I Honig cream laid paper, 14 7/8 x 12 1/4 inches (378 x 311 mm), the full sheet. In very good condition with some m...

A delightful watercolour scene depicting cattle grazing before a winding river. Signed to the lower right. Well presented in a slim gilt frame On paper.

A most attractive watercolor by one of the forefathers of British watercolour painting. John White Abbott (1763-1851) Abraham and Isaac in an extensive landscape Pen, ink and wash 7...

An early Devonshire landscape, ex-collection West Collection of British Watercolors & the Fine Art Society, London. Circa 1800 Ink and brown wash on paper, 7 1/8 x 10 1/4 inches (...

Neapolitan gouaches appeared in the eighteenth century when tourism in the Naples area was developing: the discoveries of Herculaneum and Pompeii made this city a mandatory stop on the Grand Tour, the journey made by wealthy Europeans to complete their education. Generally small in size for ease of transport and affordable in price, these gouaches were the ideal travel souvenir that these tourists of the early days were bringing back to capture the idyllic landscapes they had discovered during their journey and to share them with family and friends upon their return at home. The Bay of Naples and the eruptions of Vesuvius are the favourite themes of these views. Here we have a view of the Ovo Castle, which was rebuilt on the island of Partenope, in the middle of the Bay of Naples and about a hundred metres from the shore by the Normans in the 12th century on antique ruins...

A beautiful little gem of a watercolour with bold palette and most attractive composition. A rare and fabulous work by the talented son of John Sell Cotman. John Joseph Cotman (1814...

Signed and localized on the verso : "Vedute di parte dalla Piazza dif.a alla Loggetta e cam panil parte della Zecca ed in lontan Proc.e vechie e parte della chiesa punto preso vic...

Brush and brown ink and wash with graphite on cream wove paper, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches (165 x 232mm). Inscribed "Fahlerant, No. 9754, Paisaje--Orillas de un lago" in ink on the verso. ...

Samuel Alken Coursing Scene Watercolour on green-grey wove paper Probably a contemporary copy of a rabbiting plate Bears signature to bottom left 25 x 42 cm Samuel Alken Jr. (178...

A very attractive images of pheasants in a woodland setting with strong colour and composition. Newton Smith Limbird Fielding (1799-1856) Cock pheasant and hen against a sandy bank ...

Well-drawn early 19th century French watercolor of a family in a wooded landscape. Framed in an antique water gilded frame, which might be the original to the piece. The quality o...

Aquatint from the beginning of the 19's century Illegible signature gold frame with glass, total size with frame: 38x48x3 cm

A charming depiction of Augsburg in Germany in the style of Samuel Prout (1783-1852). Titled in the lower right. Presented in a gilt frame. On paper.

On the Lea River attributed to Peter de Wint (British 1784-1849) signed lower right corner, titled verso original watercolour painting on paper, unframed painting: 11 x 14 inches C...

A very attractive view of a rural lane in Pirbright by this highly collectable artist who was a contemporary and friend of John Constable. Dr William Crotch (1775-1847) Mr Pear's House at Pirbright from the Turnpike Signed with initials on reverse and inscribed as title and additionally " Thunder about/ 1 pm" watercolour and pencil 4 x 6½ inches without frame 11 x 13 inches with frame William Crotch (5 July 1775 – 29 December 1847) was an English composer and organist. According to the British musicologist Nicholas Temperley, Crotch was "a child prodigy without parallel in the history of music", and was certainly the most distinguished English musician in his day. Crotch was a professional musician, becoming the first Principal of the Royal Academy of Music...

A charming watercolour scene depicting a river flowing between banks with fallen trees. Perched on a rock in the center of the river a heron looks for fish in the stream. Signed and ...

The River Barge Pen and ink on paper on laid paper, mounted in English drum mount , c. 1810 Unsigned Condition: Slight sun staining to sheet and mount in the window (see photo) Image/sheet size: 5 1/4 x 6 11/16 inches Sight: : 5-3/4 x 7-1/4" Frame: 13-3/8 x 14-3/8" Provenance: Colnaghi, London (see photo of label) David Cox (29 April 1783 – 7 June 1859) was an English landscape painter, one of the most important members of the Birmingham School of landscape artists and an early precursor of Impressionism. He is considered one of the greatest English landscape painters, and a major figure of the Golden age of English watercolour. Although most popularly known for his works in watercolour, he also painted over 300 works in oil towards the end of his career, now considered "one of the greatest, but least recognised, achievements of any British painter. His son, known as David Cox the Younger (1809-1885), was also a successful artist. Early life in Birmingham, 1783–1804 Cox's birthplace in Deritend, Birmingham, illustrated by Samuel Lines Cox was born on 29 April 1783 on Heath Mill Lane in Deritend, then an industrial suburb of Birmingham. His father was a blacksmith and whitesmith about whom little is known, except that he supplied components such as bayonets and barrels to the Birmingham gun trade. Cox's mother was the daughter of a farmer and miller from Small Heath to the east of Birmingham. Early biographers record that "she had had a better education than his father, and was a woman of superior intelligence and force of character." Cox was initially expected to follow his father into the metal trade and take over his forge, but his lack of physical strength led his family to seek opportunities for him to develop his interest in art, which is said to have first become apparent when the young Cox started painting paper kites while recovering from a broken leg. By the late 18th century Birmingham had developed a network of private academies teaching drawing and painting, established to support the needs of the town's manufacturers of luxury metal goods, but also encouraging education in fine art, and nurturing the distinctive tradition of landscape art of the Birmingham School. Cox initially enrolled in the academy of Joseph Barber in Great Charles Street, where fellow students included the artist Charles Barber and the engraver William Radclyffe, both of whom would become important lifelong friends. At the age of about 15 Cox was apprenticed to the Birmingham painter Albert Fielder, who produced portrait miniatures and paintings for the tops of snuffboxes from his workshop at 10 Parade in the northwest of the town. Early biographers of Cox record that he left his apprenticeship after Fielder's suicide, with one reporting that Cox himself discovered his master's hanging body, but this is probably a myth as Fielder is recorded at his address in Parade as late as 1825. At some time during mid-1800 Cox was given work by William Macready the elder at the Birmingham Theatre, initially as an assistant grinding colours and preparing canvases for the scene painters, but from 1801 painting scenery himself and by 1802 leading his own team of assistants and being credited in plays' publicity. London, 1804–1814 In 1804 Cox was promised work by the theatre impresario Philip Astley and moved to London, taking lodgings in 16 Bridge Row, Lambeth. Although he was unable to get employment at Astley's Amphitheatre it is likely that he had already decided to try to establish himself as a professional artist, and apart from a few private commissions for painting scenery his focus over the next few years was to be on painting and exhibiting watercolours. While living in London, Cox married his landlord's daughter, Mary Agg and the couple moved to Dulwich in 1808. David Cox Travellers on a Path, pencil and brown wash. In 1805 he made his first of many trips to Wales, with Charles Barber, his earliest dated watercolours are from this year. Throughout his lifetime he made numerous sketching tours to the Home Counties, North Wales, Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Devon. Cox exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1805. His paintings never reached high prices, so he earned his living mainly as a drawing master. His first pupil, Colonel the Hon.H. Windsor (the future Earl of Plymouth) engaged him in 1808, Cox went on to acquire several other aristocratic and titled pupils. He also went on to write several books, including: Ackermanns' New Drawing Book (1809); A Series of Progressive Lessons (1811); Treatise on Landscape Painting (1813); and Progressive Lessons on Landscape (1816). The ninth and last edition of his series Progressive Lessons, was published in 1845. By 1810 he was elected President of the Associated Artists in Water Colour. In 1812, following the demise of the Associated Artists, he was elected as associate of the Society of Painters in Water Colour (the old Water Colour Society). He was elected a Member of the Society in 1813, and exhibited there every year (except 1815 and 1817) until his death. Hereford, 1814–1827 In the summer of 1813 Cox was appointed as the drawing master of the Royal Military College in Farnham, Surrey, but he resigned shortly afterwards, finding little sympathy with the atmosphere of a military institution. Soon after that he applied to a newspaper advertisement for a position as drawing master for Miss Crouchers' School for Young Ladies in Hereford and in Autumn 1814 moved to the town with his family. Cox taught at the school in Widemarsh Street until 1819, his substantial salary of £100 per year requiring only two-day's work per week, allowing time for painting and the taking of private pupils. Cox's reputation as both a painter and a teacher had been building over previous years, as indicated by his election as a member of the Society of Painters in Water Colours and his inclusion in John Hassell's 1813 book Aqua Pictura, which claimed to present works by "all of the most approved water coloured draftsmen". The depression that accompanied the end of the Napoleonic Wars had caused a contraction in the art market, however, and by 1814 Cox had been very short of money, requiring a loan from one of his pupils to pay even for the move to Hereford. Despite its financial advantages and its proximity to the scenery of North Wales and the Wye Valley, the move to Hereford marked a retreat in terms of his career as a painter: he sent few works to the annual exhibition of the Society of Painters in Water Colours during his first years away from London and not until 1823 would he again contribute more than 20 pictures. Between 1823 and 1826 he had Joseph Murray Ince as a pupil. London, 1827–1841 He made his first trip to the Continent, to Belgium and the Netherlands in 1826 and subsequently moved to London the following year. He exhibited for the first time with the Birmingham Society of Artists in 1829, and with the Liverpool Academy in 1831. In 1839, two of Cox's watercolours were bought from the Old Water Colour Society exhibition by the Marquis of Conynha for Queen Victoria. Birmingham, 1841–1859 Greenfield House in Harborne, Birmingham – where Cox lived from 1841 until his death in 1859 . In May 1840 Cox wrote to one of his Birmingham friends: "I am making preparations to sketch in oil, and also to paint, and it is my intention to spend most of my time in Birmingham for the purpose of practice". Cox had been considering a return to painting in oils since 1836 and in 1839 had taken lessons in oil painting from William James Müller, to whom he had been introduced by mutual friend George Arthur Fripp. Hostility between the Society of Painters in Water Colours and the Royal Academy made it difficult for an artist to be recognised for work in both watercolour and oil in London, however, and it is likely that Cox would have preferred to explore this new medium in the more supportive environment of his home town. By the early 1840s his income from sales of his watercolours was sufficient to allow him to abandon his work as a drawing master, and in June 1841 he moved with his wife to Greenfield House in Harborne, then a village on Birmingham's south western outskirts. It was this move that would enable the higher levels of freedom and experimentation that were to characterise his later work. The elderly Cox pictured by Samuel Bellin in 1855. In Harborne, Cox established a steady routine – working in watercolour in the morning and oils in the afternoon. He would visit London every spring to attend the major exhibitions, followed by one or more sketching excursions, continuing the pattern that he had established in the 1830s. From 1844 these tours evolved into a yearly trip to Betws-y-Coed in North Wales to work outdoors in both oil and watercolour, gradually becoming the focus for an annual summer artists colony that continued until 1856 with Cox as its "presiding genius". Cox's experience of trying to exhibit his oils in London was short and unsuccessful: in 1842 he made his only submission to the Society of British Artists; one oil painting was exhibited at each of the British Institution and the Royal Academy in 1843; and two oil paintings were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1844 – the last that would be exhibited in London during his lifetime. Cox showed regularly at the Birmingham Society of Arts and its successor, the Birmingham Society of Artists, becoming a member in 1842. Cox suffered a stroke on 12 June 1853 that temporarily paralysed him, and permanently affected his eyesight, memory and coordination. By 1857 however, his eyesight had deteriorated. An exhibition of his work was arranged in 1858 by the Conversazione Society Hampstead, and in 1859 a retrospective exhibition was held at the German Gallery Bond Street, London. Cox died several months later. He was buried in the churchyard of St Peters, Harborne, Birmingham, under a chestnut tree, alongside his wife Mary. Work Early work In the spring of 1811 Cox made a small number of notable works in oils during a visit to Hastings with his family. It is not known why he didn't continue working in this medium at the time, but the five known surviving examples were described in 1969 as "surely some of the most brilliant examples of the genre in England". Mature work Cox reached artistic maturity after his move to Hereford in 1814. Although only two major watercolours can confidently be traced to the period between Cox's arrival in the town and the end of the decade, both of these – Butcher's Row, Hereford of 1815 and Lugg Meadows, near Hereford of 1817 – mark advances on his earlier work. Later work Cox's later work produced after his move to Birmingham in 1841 was marked by simplification, abstraction and a stripping down of detail. His art of the period combined the breadth and weight characteristic of the earlier English watercolour school, together with a boldness and freedom of expression comparable to later impressionism. His concern with capturing the fleeting nature of weather, atmosphere and light was similar to that of John Constable, but Cox stood apart from the older painter's focus on capturing material detail, instead employing a high degree of generalisation and a focus on overall effect. The quest for character over precision in representing nature was an established characteristic of the Birmingham School of landscape artists with which Cox had been associated early in his life, and as early as 1810 Cox's work had been criticised for its "sketchiness of finish" and "cloudy confusion of objects", which were held to betray "the coarseness of scene-painting". During the 1840s and 1850s Cox took this "peculiar manner" to new extremes, incorporating the techniques of the sketch into his finished works to a far greater degree. Cox's watercolour technique of the 1840s was sufficiently different from his earlier methods to need explanation to his son in 1842, despite the fact that his son had been helping him teach and paint since 1827. The materials used for his later works in watercolour also differed from his earlier periods: he used black chalk instead of graphite pencil as his primary drawing medium, and the rough and absorbent "Scotch" wrapping paper for which he became well-known – both of these were related to his development of a rougher and freer style. Influence and legacy By the 1840s Cox, alongside Peter De Wint and Copley Fielding, had become recognised as one of the leading figures of the English landscape watercolour style of the first half of the 19th century. This judgement was complicated by reaction to the rougher and bolder style of Cox's later Birmingham work, which was widely ignored or condemned. While by this time De Wint and Fielding were essentially continuing in a long-established tradition, Cox was creating a new one. A group of young artists working in Cox's watercolour style emerged well before his death, including William Bennett, David Hall McKewan and Cox's son David Cox Jr. By 1850 Bennett in particular had become recognised as "perhaps the most distinguished among the landscape painters" for his Cox-like vigorous and decisive style. Such early followers concentrated on the example of Cox's more moderate earlier work and steered clear of what were then seen as the excesses of Cox's later years. During a period dominated by sleek and detailed picturesque landscape, however, they were still condemned by publications such as The Spectator as "the 'blottesque' school", and failed to establish themselves as a cohesive movement. John Ruskin in 1857 condemned the work of the Society of Painters in Water-colours as "a kind of potted art, of an agreeable flavour, suppliable and taxable as a patented commodity", excluding only the late work of Cox, about which he wrote "there is not any other landscape which comes near these works of David Cox in simplicity or seriousness". An 1881 book, A Biography of David Cox: With Remarks on His Works and Genius, was based on a manuscript by Cox's friend William Hall, edited and expanded by John Thackray Bunce, editor of the Birmingham Daily Post. There are two Blue Plaque memorials commemorating him at 116 Greenfield Road, Harborne, Birmingham, and at 34 Foxley Road, Kennington, London, SW9, where he lived from 1827. It can also be seen at the David Cox exhibition in Birmingham. His pupils included Birmingham architectural artist, Allen Edward...

French school from the beginning of the 19th century Wash drawing 25.5 x 32.5 cm

A charming early 19th century watercolour depicting rural dwellings on a quiet lakeside with men in boats and cattle to the foreground. Presented in a modern gilt-effect frame. Unsig...

A delightful 19th-century landscape depicting figures resting on a path in the Scottish Highlands. The artist guides the viewer's eye over the dramatic mountaintops as dusk closes in...

A charming Georgian watercolour landscape showing a shepherd leading his flock along a riverside lane. The shepherd is wearing the traditional Scottish kilt...

Inspired by Peter Le Cave (fl.1769-1816), this early 19th century watercolour depicts a farmer and his livestock resting in the shade of a large oak tree. Th...

Attributed to Antony Vandyke Copley Fielding (1787 - 1855) Dinan Tour de l’Horloge (Dinan Clock Tower) Watercolour 28 x 21 cm A spirited watercolour of Dinan, Brittany. Dinan's famo...

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Welsh mountain landscape with figures resting to the foreground. Attributed to the Bristol School artist Samuel Jackson (1794-1869). Well presented in a gilt-effect frame with wash-l...

A fine watercolour study depicting a man, horse and dog bringing a cart back from town on a winding path. The artist demonstrates a great ability to portray distance in the different...

[CHINESE SCHOOL]. Two Watercolour Scenes. Possibly Canton ca.1820]. Very impressive large scale watercolours of Chinese scenes, presumably executed for the Western market by an an...

Well presented in a simple black frame. Signed. On paper.

Watercolor on vellum? Late 18th or early 19th century. Framed and under glass. Very small foxing. Watercolor (on view): 8.5 x 11 cm Frame: 11.5 x 14.5 cm

A delicate 19th Century watercolour of a motte-and-bailey castle. Signed and dated to the lower right. On paper laid to card.

A charming landscape scene depicting a mill on the river's edge. The artist captures the scene in fine detail, with the delicate painting of the trees and foliage being very indicati...

A very fine watercolour landscape in the style of esteemed painter and astrologer John Varley (1778-1842). Presented in a 19th-century gilt frame with beaded detailing to the inner w...

[CHINESE SCHOOL]. Chinese Craft on the Pearl River. Canton, circa 1810. A pencil, water colour and body colour drawing of craft, heightened with white on paper watermarked ‘J Whatm...

A charming watercolour scene depicting a mountain lake with cattle in the shallow water. the artist captures the landscape in fine detail from the foreground foliage to the distant m...

Attributed to Thomas Miles Richardson (1784-1848)- This wonderfully watercolour depicts a scene from the early 19th century, delicately painted with additional graphite details. In the centre of the scene sits all the action, with a mother carrying an infant passed the local farmer and bull at the village bridge...

This small drawing (pencil on paper, 23 x 19 cm) made on paper cut out in the shape of a lunette depicts a view from the apsidal part of the Benedictine abbey church "Saint Ouen Rou...

[CHINESE SCHOOL]. Chinese Craft on the Pearl River. Canton, circa 1810. A pencil, water colour and body colour drawing of craft, heightened with white on paper watermarked ‘J Whatm...

Annie L Pressland (1892 - 1933) A watercolor painter of flowers, gardens and still lives, she was born on 2 July 1862, the daughter of Caleb Pressla...

French School picture circa 1790-1810, the landscape depicts a group of fishermen and appear to be preparing for the journey out to sea, there are fishing boats with nets suggesting ...

HENRY BARLOW CARTER (1795-1867) View of New London Bridge in June 1827. John Rennie, Esq., Engineer Signed and dated 1827 Sepia watercolour on p...

"View of Chequers Court" is an original pencil, pen, and ink drawing by Fiennes Trotman. This drawing was part of the Rothschild collection, and it fea...