View Before Ironbridge Built

Artist William Williams (England, active 1763 - 1800)

Date1798

Mediumpencil drawing with grey and brownish wash & some brush drawing

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

Dimensions11 1/4 x 20 1/4 inches

AcquisitionPresented in 1957 by Miss Lizzie Hogarth.

CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0

LocationHistoric Loss - research into this object's history and current status is ongoing

Object numberABDAG017663

About MeOne of 99 drawings on 92 leaves of paper from a sketchbook used by William Williams.

A river valley sketch with 'A View on the River Severn at Madely near Coalbrookdale and where the iron bridge is to be built' is written on the verso of the sketch.

The famous bridge was designed 1775 and built 1777-79 which dates this drawing to 1775-77 assuming the intention to build the bridge must have been known.

This sketch may be linked with William Willams Royal Academy exhibits of 1778: 'A morning view of Coalbrooke Dale' and 'An afternoon view of Coalbrooke Dale' both held by the Shrewsbury Museum Service.

This drawing, along with 46 other leaves from the same sketchbook, is now untraced. Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums is keen to reunite the drawings as one album. If you have any information relating to the current whereabouts of this work please contact Aberdeen Art Gallery.
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Probably from the mid 1770s, when the design of the world's first cast iron bridge (still standing) was known, but before its construction