Dated Watercolour

• Warkworth Hermitage (TG1096)

Dated Sketch

• The River Dee, near Corwen (TG1347)

1798

Stebbing Shaw, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire, 2 vols, London, 1798 and 1801 (vol.1, p.237)

Referring to The West Front of Lichfield Cathedral (TG1002):

Mr. Samuel, formerly a drawing-master in London, proposed publishing by subscription a large view from a drawing of his own, but for want of encouragement it was never engraved. His nephew, an ingenious draughtsman in the same line, exhibited a large West view at the Royal Academy 1796. And, the preceding year, J. Girtin, an admirable young artist, exhibited a beautiful drawing nearly in the same point of view. Various others, no doubt, have been taken, which have escaped my notice; but I must not forget to mention the several highly finished distant views of this cathedral lately taken by that most ingenious draughtsman and painter Mr. Glover, now resident at Lichfield.

1 January 1798

Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire (see print after TG0058) is published in Revd Richard Warner’s A Walk through Wales, in August 1797 (Warner, 1798).

14 February 1798

Lincoln Cathedral (see print after TG1008) is published in Bartholomew Howlett’s A Selection of Views in the County of Lincoln (Howlett, 1805).

17 February 1798

Edward Lascelles (1764–1814) pays Girtin five guineas ‘for a drawing’ (Leeds City Archive Department, Harewood Papers, Calendar no.189, quoted in Hill, 1999, p.21).

1 March 1798

Rye (see print after TG0223) is published in The Copper-Plate Magazine (Walker, 1792–1802).

27 April 1798

Kenneth Garlick and others, eds., The Diary of Joseph Farington, vol.3, p.1004 (Farington, Diary, 27 April 1798)

Joseph Farington (1747–1821) notes that ‘Sir G. B’s went to breakfast – West full of Turners drawings – He thinks them manner’d – also Girtins’. This refers to the collector Sir George Beaumont (1753–1827), who was to become one of Girtin’s patrons, and the president of the Royal Academy, Benjamin West (1738–1820).

April–July 1798

Royal Academy of Arts, London, The Exhibition of the Royal Academy, M,DCC,XCVIII: The Thirtieth

Girtin’s address is given as ‘25, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden’. His exhibits are listed as:

Council Room

• 342 – ‘Coast of Dorsetshire’ (?TG1251)
• 343 – ‘Berry Pomeroy Castle’ (?TG1270)

Antique Academy

• 493 – ‘Rivaux Abbey’ (?TG1056)
• 538 – ‘Inside of Exeter Cathedral’ (TG1256)
• 575 – ‘Cottage, from nature’
• 643 – ‘A view’
• 650 – ‘River’s Abbey, Yorkshire’ (?TG1056)

Library

• 677 – ‘A mill in Devonshire’ (?TG1427)
• 703 – ‘St. Nicholas’s church, Newcastle’ (TG1460)

Girtin showed the fruits of his 1796 northern tour in the following year and his contemporary Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) followed suit in 1798 when he sent in a series of watercolours of comparable northern subjects based on his own later trip. In contrast to Girtin’s vague titles, Turner took advantage of the new rule that allowed artists to append poetic quotations to their work. The catalogue lists: 

• 346 – ‘Refectory of Kirkstall Abbey, Yorkshire’
• 353 – ‘Norham Castle on the Tweed, Summer’s morn’
• 404 – ‘Holy Island cathedral, Northumberland’
• 408 – ‘Ambleside mill, Westmoreland’
• 435 – ‘The dormitory and trancept of Fountain’s Abbey. – Evening’
• 640 – ‘A study in September of the fern house, Mr. Lock’s Park, Mickleham, Surrey’

1 May 1798

Windsor (see print after TG0065) is published in The Copper-Plate Magazine (Walker, 1792–1802).

Woolwich (see print after TG0158) is published in The Copper-Plate Magazine (Walker, 1792–1802).

9 May 1798

Edward Lascelles (1764–1814) pays Girtin £20 for unspecified work (Leeds City Archive Department, Harewood Papers, Calendar no.191, quoted in Hill, 1995, p.29).

14–16 May 1798

‘Royal Academy: Exhibition, 1798’, The London Packet, 14–16 May 1798, p.3

Referring to St Nicholas’ Church, Newcastle upon Tyne (TG1460):

703 St. Nicholas’ Church, Newcastle. T. GIRTON. A stile of drawing productive of some effect, but not to be commended, as the objects are ill defined.

31 May–2 June 1798

‘Royal Academy’, Whitehall Evening Post, 31 May–2 June 1798, p.4

Referring to Rievaulx Abbey (TG1056):

No. 493. Rivaux Abbey. – T. Girtin. We should have passed over the extreme slovenliness of this drawing, if we had not recognized the same fault in all this Artist’s performances. From the wildness which pervades them, it may fairly be presumed that they have been done in a hurry, which is at the best a sorry apology for neglect and carelessness. We enlarge upon this topic, as it is evident Mr. Girtin can produce better works if he pleases. We would recommend to his serious consideration the excellent maxim of Lord Chesterfield, “Whatever is worth doing, is worth doing well.” The present article is drawn with considerable spirit and ability, but wants that architectural truth which such scenes indispensibly require.’

1 July 1798

‘The Arts. Royal Academy.– 1798’, The Monthly Mirror, vol.6 (July 1798), p.29

Girtin’s productions are also well worth considering; and, though not so softened as Turner’s, they display so much daring and vigorous execution, that a sedulous attention to the finishing would perhaps be injurious to the effect.

3 July 1798

West View of Thornton Abbey (see print after TG1032) is published in Bartholomew Howlett’s A Selection of Views in the County of Lincoln (Howlett, 1805).

11 July 1798

East View of Thornton Abbey (see print after TG1033) is published in Bartholomew Howlett’s A Selection of Views in the County of Lincoln (Howlett, 1805).

Summer 1798

According to a later account given to Joseph Farington (1747–1821), Girtin tours North Wales with a Mr ‘Moss’ of Norwich (Farington, Diary, 26 September 1798). Their stops probably include Chester, Hawarden, Holywell, Rhuddlan Castle, Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech, Cayne Waterfall (Dolgellau), Beddgelert, Mynydd Mawr, the Ogwen Falls, Betws-y-Coed, Bala Lake, Denbigh, the Vale of Clwyd and Valle Crucis, though only the stop at Corwen on 16 August is documented. They possibly return via Shropshire (Shrewsbury, Moreton Corbet, Wroxeter, Coalport and Bridgnorth), probably not Hereford. The ‘young man’ named Moss was possibly William George Moss (active 1814–38), who in 1814–15 made two sketches for John Britton’s The Beauties of England and Wales (Brayley and Britton, 1801–1815) and provided illustrations for other topographical and antiquarian publications.

A trip to Harewood in Yorkshire has also been suggested, possibly on the way to or from Wales (Girtin and Loshak, 1954, p.33). The only possible evidence for this comes in the form of a payment in November from Girtin’s patron Edward Lascelles (1764–1814). However, two documented dates placing the artist in Wales on 16 August – inscribed on a view of Corwen (TG1347) – and in London on 28 August – the date of Girtin’s portrait by George Dance (1741–1825) (TG1933) – mean that he would not have had time to visit Harewood on the way back from his trip.

16 August 1798

Girtin’s sketch The River Dee, near Corwen (TG1347) is inscribed ‘T. Girtin / 16 Augt 1798’. This is presumably made on the way back to London, as he is documented as being there twelve days later (Girtin’s portrait by George Dance (1741–1825) (TG1933) is executed on this date).

28 August 1798

A profile portrait drawing of Girtin (TG1933) by George Dance (1741–1825) is inscribed ‘Augst. 28th. 1798’. Girtin is shown as a ‘Crop’, the fashion amongst men in the mid-1790s for wearing their hair unpowdered and close-cropped in an allusion to Roman republican busts, thus displaying democratic if not outright revolutionary sympathies (Bindman, 1989, pp.66–67).

26 September 1798

Kenneth Garlick and others, eds., The Diary of Joseph Farington, vol.3, p.1060 (Farington, Diary, 26 September 1798)

Joseph Farington (1747–1821) records that

Wm. Turner called on me. He has been in South & North Wales this Summer – alone and on Horseback – out 7 weeks – much rain but better for effects – one clear day and Snowdon appeared green and unpicturesque to the top.

The timing of Girtin’s return from Wales suggests that the sketches by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) of Harlech, Caernarfon, Rhuddlan Castle, Conwy, the Ogwen Falls and Betws-y-Coed date from a few weeks later than Girtin’s drawings.

1 October 1798

Marine-Barracks, at Stone-House, Devonshire (see print after TG1274) is published in The Copper-Plate Magazine (Walker, 1792–1802).

24 October 1798

Kenneth Garlick and others, eds., The Diary of Joseph Farington, vol.3, p.1075 (Farington, Diary, 24 October 1798)

Joseph Farington (1747–1821) records that Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) 'called on me'.

He said He had more commissions at present than He could execute & got more money than He expended ... I afterwards called upon him at his Fathers, a Hair-Dresser in Hand-Court, Maiden Lane. – The Apartments to be sure, small & ill calculated for a painter. He shewed me two Books filled with studies from nature – several of them tinted on the Spot, which He found, He said, were much the most valuable to him. – One of the books contained studies made at Malmsbury – Chepstow – Tintern Abbey – Brecknock & in the neighberoud of Lanillo, – at Kilgarren – on to Dolgelly and by the River to Harlech – at Conway – Langollen – Powis Castle & Ludlow.

The other Book, studies at Doncaster, – York, – Durham, – Melrose, – the English Lakes, Lancaster, – Richmond in Yorkshire, – Fountains – Abbey.

He requested me to fix upon any subject which I preferred in his books, and begs to make a drawing or picture of it for me. I told him I had not the least claim to such a present from Him, but on his pressing it I said I would take another opportunity of looking over his books & avail myself of his offer. Hoppner, He said had chosen a subject at Durham.

1 November 1798

Richmond (see print after TG1067) is published in The Copper-Plate Magazine (Walker, 1792–1802).

12 November 1798

Kenneth Garlick and others, eds., The Diary of Joseph Farington, vol.3, p.1090 (Farington, Diary, 12 November 1798) (1798 – Item 2)

Joseph Farington (1747–1821) dines at the home of the artist John Hoppner (1758–1810), where Girtin and Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) are seated next to each other:

Turner & Girtin told us they had been employed by Dr. Monro 3 years to draw at his house in the evenings. They went at 6 and staid till Ten. Girtin drew in outlines and Turner washed in the effects. They were chiefly employed in copying the outlines or unfinished drawings of Cozens &c &c. of which Copies they made finished drawings. Dr. Monro allowed Turner 3s. 6d each night. – Girtin did not say what He had. Turner afterwards told me that Dr. Monro had been a material friend to him, as well as to Girtin, who is a Son of a Turner who lived or hired in St. Martins Le Grand.

Girtin told us He had been a tour through North Wales with a young man from Norwich of the name of Moss. – Girtin had no money, so Moss advanced him £20, & afterwards £5 more, all of which He expended, as He bore half the expences with Moss, excepting for Carriage Horses & Servant.

Around 1798

Alfred Thomas Story, The Life of John Linnell (Story, 1892, vol.1, p.41)

John Linnell (1792–1882), recalling his time at the home of Dr Thomas Monro (1759–1833), said that he had taken Turner and Girtin ‘out to one or other of his country houses or elsewhere to sketch for him from Nature.’ ‘From these drawings … Linnell and Hunt were set to make copies.’ Linnell thought ‘the doctor used to sell their copies for originals’. In a section of the ‘Autobiographical Notes’ quoted by Story, Linnell claimed that ‘Some of these copies were afterwards I have no doubt sold for originals’.

Around 1798

John Lewis Roget, A History of the ‘Old Water-Colour Society’ … Proceeded by an Account of English Water-Colour Art and Artists in the 18th Century (Roget, 1891, vol.1, p.82)

According to Cornelius Varley (1781–1873), Girtin complained about the division of labour at Dr Monro’s house as ‘not giving him the same chance of learning to paint’.

21 November 1798

Edward Lascelles, Account Book (Leeds City Archive Department, Harewood Papers, Calendar no.191, quoted in Hill, 1995, p.29)

Edward Lascelles (1764–1814) records: ‘Paid Mr Girtin for Drawings, Lessons etc. …£17.17.0.’

17 December 1798

Verse letter from James Moore (1762–99) to Ange Denis Macquin (1756–1823) (Print Room, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford)

Moore writes:

The novelties in works of Art,

When next we meet I will impart;

How Nature’s beauties mimic’d stand,

And rise to view in Girtin’s hand.

18 December 1798

Verse letter from Ange Denis Macquin (1756–1823) to James Moore (1762–99) (Print Room, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford) (Moore, Letter, 1798) (1798  – Item 2)

Macquin writes:

But more of this when next we meet

As I hope soon in Stanford Street

We’ll Talk of Girtin’s Brutus head

And curls not bigger than a bead