Documents: A Year by Year Record of Dated Watercolours and Prints, Early Accounts of the Artist and His Works, Manuscript Material Relating to Sales and Collections

1822 Documents

Documents, Dated Watercolours and Early Accounts of the Artist

1 February 1822

William Bernard Cooke, Soho Square, London, Exhibition of Drawings, 1822 (Exhibitions: London, 1822)

The exhibition, held at 9 Soho Square, includes five works by Thomas Girtin (the catalogue notes that ‘Drawings which are to be disposed of are marked by an *’):

58 – ‘*Rye, Sussex. A View by Twilight. In the possession of J. Britton, Esq.’
70 – ‘Warksworth Church. In the possession of J. Mitan, Esq.’ (TG1710)
118 – ‘Durham; an exceeding fine specimen by this Artist. In the possession of James Vine, Esq.’ (TG1074)
260 – ‘Mount Edgecumbe, from Stonehouse. In the possession of J. Britton, Esq.’ (TG1274 or TG1455)
283 – ‘*A View in Dorsetshire’

The catalogue also gives the prices for William Bernard Cooke’s (1778–1855) engraving Caernarvon Castle, North Wales (see print after TG1309) as ‘Prints, 6s … Proofs, 8s … Proofs on India Paper, 10s’. It states:

This interesting View was lent by the late HENRY EDRIDGE, Esq. A. R. A. for the purpose of engraving, as a Specimen of the great and original Talents of Girtin, whose Works are now so highly and so justly appreciated. A very small portion of his works have hitherto been engraved.

February 1822

A letter from the collector Chambers Hall (1786–1855) and his brother to John Linnell (1792–1882) refers to ‘our young friend Mr. Daniells who accompanied us to your house last week and who wishes to posses a drawing by Girtin’ (Moore, 1985, p.97). This refers to Edward Thomas Daniell (1804–42), whose posthumous sale included three of Girtin’s sketches for the Eidometropolis (Exhibitions: Christie’s, 17 March 1843, lots 39–41).

February 1822

The Magazine of Fine Arts, vol.1 (February 1822), pp.46, 47

A discussion of William Bernard Cooke’s (1778–1855) first exhibition at Soho Square mentions ‘the illusive colouring of Girtin’ and his ‘remarkably fine’ works.

3 February 1822

The Examiner, 3 February 1822, p.75

Reviewing William Bernard Cooke’s (1778–1855) first exhibition at Soho Square, the anonymous author notes the progress from the ‘insubstantial and scratchy manner’ of Paul Sandby (c.1730–1809) ‘through the more solid pencils of Dayes, Girtin, &c.’.

20 February 1822

‘Fine Arts: Exhibition of Drawings, Soho-Square’, The New Times, 20 February 1822, p.3

Reviewing a watercolour identifiable as Durham Cathedral and Castle, from the River Wear (TG1074) at William Bernard Cooke’s (1778–1855) first exhibition at Soho Square, the anonymous author writes that ‘118, Durham, by Girtin, is admirably faithful to nature, both in detail and in general effect, and most strongly recalls the original to recollection’.

23 February 1822

The Literary Gazette, and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c., no.266 (23 February 1822), p.122

Reviewing William Bernard Cooke’s (1778–1855) first exhibition at Soho Square, the writer notes the progress of the art of watercolour painting to the ‘abstract effects of Girtin, Turner, De Wint, Prout, &c’.

March 1822

The Repository of Arts, new series, vol.13 (March 1822), p.173

William Bernard Cooke’s (1778–1855) first exhibition at Soho Square is said to allow viewers to appreciate the progress to perfection of painting in watercolours from ‘its origin amongst us, in the labours of Sandby and Girtin’.

March 1822

The Gazette of Fashion, no.3 (March 1822), p.41

Reviewing William Bernard Cooke’s (1778–1855) first exhibition at Soho Square, the anonymous writer notes ‘the illusive colouring of Girtin’ and adds that those works ‘by Girtin are remarkably fine’.

18 April 1822

John Linnell's Cash Book for the Years 1822–1836 (Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, MS21–2000, p.5)

John Linnell (1792–1882) acted as an intermediary between Dr Thomas Monro (1759–1833) and the noted later collector of Girtin's works Chambers Hall (1786–1855) in February and March 1820. This record of a payment of £10 was probably related to the ambitions of Edward Thomas Daniell (1804–42) 'to posses a drawing by Girtin’ as noted above.

to D^r Monro for a Drawing by Girtin of Buildings & Cows £10 –

Later in the year Linnell writes to Monro to ask for one of Girtin’s drawings of York, perhaps the view of the Minster that Chambers Hall had turned down. Monro replies that he cannot find it and in any case was ‘perfectly indifferent’ to parting with it. In August he wrote to Linnell again saying that he regards such a drawing as ‘a bank note at any time, and thinks that at any rate that he should not be disposed to take £10 for it’ (Abell, 2009, p.189).