- Description
-
- Creator(s)
- Thomas Girtin (1775-1802)
- Title
-
- The Town of Rye, Seen from the Marshes
- Date
- 1796 - 1797
- Medium and Support
- Watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper
- Dimensions
- 21.7 × 46.7 cm, 8 ½ × 18 ⅜ in
- Object Type
- Studio Watercolour
- Subject Terms
- Coasts and Shipping; Panoramic Format; Sussex View
-
- Collection
- Catalogue Number
- TG1752
- Girtin & Loshak Number
- 94ii as 'The Town of Rye ... may be a copy by Henderson'; 'The authenticity of this drawing is very doubtful.'
- Description Source(s)
- Viewed in 2001 and 2018
Provenance
John Henderson (1764–1843); then by descent to John Henderson II (1797–1878); bequeathed to the Museum, 1878
Bibliography
Binyon, 1898–1907, no.53
Place depicted
Other entries in Monro School Copies:
British Views, Including Works after the Outlines of John Henderson
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
An Upland Landscape with a Rainbow, Said to Be Lowther Fells
An Upland Landscape with a Rainbow, Said to Be Lowther Fells
Kendal Town Hall
Thomas Girtin
Tonbridge Bridge and Castle
Tonbridge Bridge and Castle
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
The High Rocks, near Tunbridge Wells
The High Rocks, near Tunbridge Wells
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Thomas Girtin, John Henderson
The Town of Rye, Seen from the Marshes
The Town of Rye, Seen from the Marshes
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, John Henderson
Dover Castle, Seen from the Beach
Dover Castle, Seen from the Beach
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
An Upland Scene with a Wooded Valley
An Upland Scene with a Wooded Valley
Leeds University Art Gallery
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner
Unidentified Medieval Ruins, with Agricultural Buildings
Unidentified Medieval Ruins, with Agricultural Buildings
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
A View near Keswick, Probably Bassenthwaite Lake
A View near Keswick, Probably Bassenthwaite Lake
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake, from the Vale of Newlands
Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake, from the Vale of Newlands
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Looking South into Borrowdale, from the Shore of Derwentwater
Looking South into Borrowdale, from the Shore of Derwentwater
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Mountainous Landscape, Possibly in the Lake District
Mountainous Landscape, Possibly in the Lake District
Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Boon Crag Cottage, with Coniston Water Beyond
Boon Crag Cottage, with Coniston Water Beyond
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
A View in Cumbria, Probably Looking from Irton Fell towards Ravenglass
A View in Cumbria, Probably Looking from Irton Fell towards Ravenglass
Clark Art Institute, Williamstown
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
A View in Cumbria, Looking towards Irton and the Irish Sea, with the Isle of Man in the Distance
A View in Cumbria, Looking towards Irton and the Irish Sea, with the Isle of Man in the Distance
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
The River Leven, Cumbria, Viewed from Penny Bridge
The River Leven, Cumbria, Viewed from Penny Bridge
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
St John's Vale, Cumbria
St John's Vale, Cumbria
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
The Lodore Falls
The Lodore Falls
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Langdale Pikes
Langdale Pikes
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Unknown Artist
An Unidentified Bridge over a Stream, Possibly in North Wales
An Unidentified Bridge over a Stream, Possibly in North Wales
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Derwentwater, with Skiddaw in the Distance
Derwentwater, with Skiddaw in the Distance
Eton College, Windsor
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Beddgelert Bridge, North Wales
Beddgelert Bridge, North Wales
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
A Mountainous Landscape with an Overshot Mill
A Mountainous Landscape with an Overshot Mill
Clark Art Institute, Williamstown
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
A Mountainous River Landscape with a Bridge
A Mountainous River Landscape with a Bridge
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Laporte
Cynwyd Mill, near Corwen, North Wales
Cynwyd Mill, near Corwen, North Wales
Brandler Galleries, Brentwood
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Conwy: The Town Walls from the South East
Conwy: The Town Walls from the South East
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Unknown Artist
Raglan Castle: The Great Hall
Raglan Castle: The Great Hall
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
A Mountainous Landscape with an Unidentified Bridge, Possibly in North Wales
A Mountainous Landscape with an Unidentified Bridge, Possibly in North Wales
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
The Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale
The Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
An Estuary, Possibly Dartmouth
An Estuary, Possibly Dartmouth
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Grasmere: Looking North West to Helm Crag
Grasmere: Looking North West to Helm Crag
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
The Head of Lake Windermere
The Head of Lake Windermere
Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
The Head of Derwentwater, with the Lodore Falls
The Head of Derwentwater, with the Lodore Falls
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour, with Shipping Being Overhauled
Dover Harbour, with Shipping Being Overhauled
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Two-Master in Dover Harbour, with the Castle Beyond
A Two-Master in Dover Harbour, with the Castle Beyond
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour: A Ship Being Overhauled
Dover Harbour: A Ship Being Overhauled
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Boat on the Shore, near Shakespeare Cliff, Dover
A Boat on the Shore, near Shakespeare Cliff, Dover
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour: Fishing Vessels, Their Sails Drying
Dover Harbour: Fishing Vessels, Their Sails Drying
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Shipping in Dover Harbour, with the Castle Beyond
Shipping in Dover Harbour, with the Castle Beyond
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
A Lake View, Possibly Ullswater
A Lake View, Possibly Ullswater
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A General View of Dover Harbour, from the East
A General View of Dover Harbour, from the East
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour: Small Boats by the Quay
Dover Harbour: Small Boats by the Quay
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Boats in Dover Harbour
Boats in Dover Harbour
British Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Ship under Repair in Dover Harbour
A Ship under Repair in Dover Harbour
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Figures on a Fishing Vessel in Dover Harbour
Figures on a Fishing Vessel in Dover Harbour
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Fishing Vessel with Hastings Beyond
A Fishing Vessel with Hastings Beyond
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Castle from the Sea
Dover Castle from the Sea
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Beached Vessel in the Inner Harbour at Dover
A Beached Vessel in the Inner Harbour at Dover
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour, with the Castle on the Hill
Dover Harbour, with the Castle on the Hill
British Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour
Dover Harbour
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Beached Vessels in Dover Harbour, the Castle in the Distance
Beached Vessels in Dover Harbour, the Castle in the Distance
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Vessels Anchored in Dover Harbour, with the Castle Beyond
Vessels Anchored in Dover Harbour, with the Castle Beyond
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Warehouses with Shipping in Dover Harbour
Warehouses with Shipping in Dover Harbour
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Vessels in the Harbour at Dover, with the Castle Beyond
Vessels in the Harbour at Dover, with the Castle Beyond
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour, with the Cliffs Beyond
Dover Harbour, with the Cliffs Beyond
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Vessels Moored in Dover Harbour
Vessels Moored in Dover Harbour
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
The Inner Harbour, Dover, with the Castle Beyond
The Inner Harbour, Dover, with the Castle Beyond
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Ship Drawn Up on a Beach Being Careened
A Ship Drawn Up on a Beach Being Careened
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Beached Fishing Vessels, Dover Harbour
Beached Fishing Vessels, Dover Harbour
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Beached Fishing Vessels in the Harbour at Dover
Beached Fishing Vessels in the Harbour at Dover
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Boats Anchored in Dover Harbour
Boats Anchored in Dover Harbour
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Boats Anchored in Dover Harbour
Boats Anchored in Dover Harbour
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour, with Fishing Boats at Low Tide
Dover Harbour, with Fishing Boats at Low Tide
The High Museum of Art, Atlanta
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover: The Harbour with Vessels
Dover: The Harbour with Vessels
Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Smack in Dover Harbour, Drying Sails, with the Old Church in the Distance
A Smack in Dover Harbour, Drying Sails, with the Old Church in the Distance
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour: A Boat under Repair
Dover Harbour: A Boat under Repair
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Fishing Boats at Low Tide, near Dover
Fishing Boats at Low Tide, near Dover
Courtauld Gallery, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover: Two Boatmen Standing by the Prow of a Brig
Dover: Two Boatmen Standing by the Prow of a Brig
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour
Dover Harbour
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Fisherman's Cottage, Said to Be at Dover
A Fisherman's Cottage, Said to Be at Dover
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin
The Hull of a Ship under Repair, with a Barge and Smaller Boats
The Hull of a Ship under Repair, with a Barge and Smaller Boats
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Boat-Builder’s Yard, Possibly on the River Medway
A Boat-Builder’s Yard, Possibly on the River Medway
Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Boat-Builder’s Yard, Possibly on the Medway
A Boat-Builder’s Yard, Possibly on the Medway
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Boat-Builder’s Yard, Possibly on the River Medway
A Boat-Builder’s Yard, Possibly on the River Medway
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Boat-Builder's Shed, Possibly on the River Medway
A Boat-Builder's Shed, Possibly on the River Medway
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Boat-Builder’s Shed, Possibly on the River Medway, with a Fishing Boat with Drying Sails
A Boat-Builder’s Shed, Possibly on the River Medway, with a Fishing Boat with Drying Sails
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
The Coast, near Dover
The Coast, near Dover
The Higgins, Bedford
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Folkestone Harbour
Folkestone Harbour
Julian Huxley-Parlour Fine Art, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Beachy Head, Looking towards Newhaven
Beachy Head, Looking towards Newhaven
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Beachy Head, Looking towards Newhaven
Beachy Head, Looking towards Newhaven
Ulster Museum, Belfast
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Shakespeare Cliff, Dover
Shakespeare Cliff, Dover
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
Thomas Girtin, John Henderson
Beached Vessels in Dover Harbour, the Castle in the Distance
Beached Vessels in Dover Harbour, the Castle in the Distance
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Buildings on a Wooden Quayside
Buildings on a Wooden Quayside
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Coast View with Chalk Cliffs, Probably from near Beachy Head
A Coast View with Chalk Cliffs, Probably from near Beachy Head
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Small Boat under Repair by a Jetty
A Small Boat under Repair by a Jetty
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, John Henderson
Dover: Snargate Street, Looking West
Dover: Snargate Street, Looking West
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dartford High Street
Dartford High Street
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Tonbridge Bridge and Castle
Tonbridge Bridge and Castle
Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Rye, from the River Tillingham
Rye, from the River Tillingham
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover: Fishing Boats at Low Tide
Dover: Fishing Boats at Low Tide
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Two Boatmen Caulking the Bows of a Beached Brig, Probably at Dover
Two Boatmen Caulking the Bows of a Beached Brig, Probably at Dover
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Hastings: A Beached Fishing Boat
Hastings: A Beached Fishing Boat
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Coastal Scene at Dover
A Coastal Scene at Dover
Worthing Museum and Art Gallery
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, James Moore
Mickleham Church
Mickleham Church
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Dolbadarn Castle on Llyn Padarn
Dolbadarn Castle on Llyn Padarn
Clark Art Institute, Williamstown
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Conwy Castle, from the East
Conwy Castle, from the East
Huddersfield Art Gallery
Unknown Artist
Harlech Castle, from the South
Harlech Castle, from the South
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
The Gatehouse, Harlech Castle, Seen from the Moat
The Gatehouse, Harlech Castle, Seen from the Moat
Private Collection, Gloucestershire
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner
The High Street at Egham
The High Street at Egham
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Boats in Dover Harbour
Boats in Dover Harbour
Leeds Art Gallery
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
Two Trees Overlooking a Meandering River
Two Trees Overlooking a Meandering River
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Edward Dayes
A Dilapidated Cottage
A Dilapidated Cottage
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover: Boats Anchored in the Harbour
Dover: Boats Anchored in the Harbour
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
A Coastal View near Dover, probably at St Margaret's, Cliffe
A Coastal View near Dover, probably at St Margaret's, Cliffe
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover: Beached Boats, with the Castle Beyond
Dover: Beached Boats, with the Castle Beyond
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Henderson
Dover Harbour: The Stern of a Large Ship, and Smaller Vessels
Dover Harbour: The Stern of a Large Ship, and Smaller Vessels
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin
The Town of Rye, Seen from the Marshes
The Town of Rye, Seen from the Marshes
British Museum, London
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About this Work
This panoramic evening scene showing the town of Rye from the marshes to the south east is based on a pencil sketch (TG0241) that in turn appears to have been copied from an untraced drawing by Girtin’s patron John Henderson (1764–1843). The watercolour was bequeathed to the British Museum by the collector’s son, John Henderson II (1797–1878), and it seems that it was commissioned from the artist, who almost certainly did not visit the coastal town in Sussex in 1795, as was once thought, and who therefore ultimately depended on his patron’s sketch. Girtin produced another view of Rye, seen from the river Tillingham, in collaboration with his contemporary Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), probably at the home of another patron, Dr Thomas Monro (1759–1833) (TG0846), and it was presumably here that he made the pencil copy of Henderson’s sketch that formed the basis for this much more fully worked-up evening scene. The panoramic format and the fine sunset effect suggest a later date than the view Girtin and Turner produced for Monro, with its simple palette of blues and greys, but the artist is not known to have worked for Henderson much after 1798 at the latest, and the contrasting styles of the two works stem, I suspect, from the different functions that they performed. The larger, panoramic format of this watercolour, in contrast to the original sketch, together with the artist’s use of gum arabic to deepen its tone and thus enhance the crepuscular effect, indicate that it was designed to be framed and displayed on the wall, in contrast to the mass of material that Girtin produced either for Monro or Henderson himself. Though the issue of dating has been clouded by the watercolour’s faded condition, and the closest stylistic parallels that I can find are with the watercolours Warkworth Castle (TG1711) and A Distant View of Guisborough Priory (TG1699), both of which date from around 1800, I nonetheless suspect that it was painted around 1796–97. Girtin’s rather simplistic use of a silhouetted skyline and the crude application of gum arabic, which drains the life out of the colouring, suggest an artist still experimenting with the panoramic mode and unsure how to treat the foreground, and this earlier date seems more appropriate than 1800, proposed by the British Museum (British Museum, Collection, 1878,1228.37).
It was presumably similar concerns about the quality of the work that led Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) and David Loshak to conclude that the ‘authenticity of this drawing is very doubtful’ and that ‘it may be a copy by Henderson’ of an untraced ‘Rye, Sussex. A View by Twilight’ (Girtin and Loshak, 1954, p.147), which was shown at an exhibition in 1822 (Exhibitions: London, 1822, no.58). The missing version of the composition was in the possession of the antiquarian writer John Britton (1771–1857) in 1822, and it is therefore unlikely that Henderson had access to it to make a copy. The more probable scenario is that the exhibited work was a second version of a composition that the patron had commissioned from Girtin. The twilight scene may indeed have weaknesses, but the evening effect is surely beyond the amateur’s capabilities, and the transformation of the standard landscape format seen in the original sketch into a panoramic composition, in particular, evinces the hand of a professional artist.
1795 - 1796
The Town of Rye, Seen from the Marshes
TG0241
1795 - 1796
Rye, from the River Tillingham
TG0846
1800 - 1801
Warkworth Castle, from the River Coquet
TG1711
1800 - 1801
A Distant View of Guisborough Priory; The Tithe Barn, Abbotsbury
TG1699