This is the earlier of two watercolours showing a panoramic view of Newcastle upon Tyne (the other being TG1082) that were produced from an on-the-spot colour sketch (TG1080) dating from Girtin’s first independent tour, to the northern counties and the Scottish Borders in 1796. The view, taken from an eminence on the north bank of the river Tyne, looking west, was well calculated to display a range of the city’s main architectural monuments, both old and new, along with a view of the river, the source of its growing wealth. From left to right, the horizon is dominated successively by the tower of St Mary’s in Gateshead, the Norman castle, All Saints’ Church (which was then in the process of being built) and the open spire of the church of St Nicholas to the right. The last of these, now the cathedral, was the subject of another watercolour by Girtin, which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1798 (TG1460).

The watercolour is one of four subjects studied on Girtin’s 1796 tour that were engraved by John Walker (active 1776–1802) for his publication The Copper-Plate Magazine (see the print after, above), the others being views of Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland (see the print after TG1459), Warkworth (see the print after TG1099) and Richmond (see print the after TG1067) (Walker, 1792–1802). The engraving of Newcastle is dated 1 July 1797, meaning that Girtin must have produced this watercolour soon after his return, and it may be that a commission from Walker to produce images for his monthly publication helped to finance the trip, not least because the drawing and the print share the same dimensions.¹ The print also follows the watercolour closely, excepting one intriguing detail that confirms that Girtin worked from an on-the-spot sketch rather than copying another source, as had hitherto commonly been the case with his work for the print trade. The steeple of the church of All Saints, which was not finished in 1796, when the artist made his sketch, was nonetheless so close to completion that Walker chose to show it in its final form in an engraving dating from just a few months later. The text that accompanies the print is also of some significance, emphasising the fact that Newcastle boasted an enviable range of points of interest, both for ‘the antiquary’ and for those concerned with the city’s ‘commerce’ and its place as ‘the greatest emporium in the north of England’ (Walker, 1792–1802, vol.3, no.66, pl.131). Such is this emphasis that one cannot help but wonder whether the publisher himself stipulated Girtin’s viewpoint for its capacity to represent the widest range of the city’s commercial, industrial and civic monuments, and that, as was noted in the text, the port and its crucial role in the coal trade were a particular focus.

1799 - 1800

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

TG1082

(?) 1796

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

TG1080

(?) 1798

St Nicholas’ Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

TG1460

1797

Bamburgh Castle, from the Village

TG1459

1796 - 1797

The Bridge at Warkworth, with the Castle Beyond

TG1099

1796 - 1797

Richmond Castle and Town, from the South East

TG1067