This view of boats in Dover harbour with the white cliffs beyond displays some of the signs that mark the unique collaboration between Girtin and his contemporary Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) at the home of Dr Thomas Monro (1759–1833). Here the two artists were employed across three winters, probably between 1794 and 1797, to copy ‘the outlines or unfinished drawings of’ principally John Robert Cozens (1752–97), but other artists too, including the patron’s neighbour, the amateur John Henderson (1764–1843), who lent his ‘outlines for this purpose’ (Farington, Diary, 30 December 1794). Henderson visited Dover in the autumn of 1794 and the ‘outlines of Shipping & Boats’ he made there, described by the diarist Joseph Farington (1747–1821) as ‘Very ingenious & careful’, provided the basis for a substantial number of copies commissioned by Monro (Farington, Diary, 1 December 1795). As with the copies the artists made after the sketches of Cozens, ‘Girtin drew in outlines and Turner washed in the effects’, with Turner receiving ‘3s. 6d each night’ though ‘Girtin did not say what He had’ (Farington, Diary, 12 November 1798).

Girtin is not known to have visited Dover and all of his views of the port and the adjacent coastline were copied from secondary sources, including his master, Edward Dayes (1763–1804). However, whilst Turner travelled to the town in 1793 and executed a series of studio watercolours after his own sketches, the majority of the Dover subjects sold from Monro’s collection, numbering as many as a hundred, were still produced after the work of other artists (Exhibitions: Christie’s, 26 June 1833; Christie’s, 1 July 1833). The source for this work has not been traced, but comparisons with the sketches used by the Monro School artists in the production of other Dover scenes – such as Shipping in Dover Harbour, with the Castle Beyond (TG0799), which displays a similar fascination with the life of the maritime community – suggest that it was an outline drawing by Henderson. The amateur’s numerous Dover views are essentially variations on a set of themes, with the same vessels, buildings, views and naval operations returning in different combinations, and it is a measure of their skill that both Turner and Girtin were able to create from this unpromising source a unified body of work that includes sufficient variety to maintain interest.

Establishing the precise nature of the collaborative process in this case has proved particularly problematic, despite having the opportunity to view the work prior to its sale in November 2023 (Bespoke Auctions, 16 November 2023, lot 25). The drawing is rather smaller than the norm for the Monro School copies of Henderson material, but there are other examples that measure roughly the same (see TG0811 for instance) for this alone not to be an issue. Arguably of greater significance is the uncharacteristic use of a softer and richer graphite for the underlying drawing, something that precludes the variety of touch and discontinuous line that typically marks Girtin’s contribution to the Monro School drawings. The more substantial line is not without its merits, however, and ultimately although its use has no obvious counterparts in the Monro School Dover subjects, it works well with a maritime subject. Similar reservations could also be expressed about the attribution of the application of washes of colour to Turner since they lack his customary subtlety and sparing economy of means with the consequence that an area such as the harbour wall appears relatively overworked. However, on balance, I am inclined to uphold the attribution to Turner as well. Allowances should surely be made for the artists working at Monro’s home under artificial light to an unforgiving deadline and no doubt from a poor original source. Perhaps the surprise is that there are not more examples of standards slipping to the degree seen here.

1795 - 1796

Shipping in Dover Harbour, with the Castle Beyond

TG0799

1795 - 1796

Dover Harbour, with the Castle on the Hill

TG0811