Sketch after 'The Turkish Letter Writer'

Artist Sir David Wilkie (Pitlessie, Fife, Scotland, 1785 - 1841)

Date1841

Mediumpencil and watercolour on paper

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsSight Size: Height: 22.2 cm, Width: 15.7 cm
Frame: Height: 48 cm, Width: 40 cm

AcquisitionPurchased in 1959 with income from the Webster Bequest.

CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG003536

Keywords

Other Titles

Man Reading A Letter (The Turkish Scribe)

About MeThis watercolour replicates almost exactly an oil painting, also in Aberdeen Art Gallery's collection. There has been much speculation as to the purpose of Wilkie's little watercolours. Since this one is dated 1841 and the oil version of 'The Turkish Letter Writer' is dated 1840, it is believed to be a copy by Wilkie, rather than a preparatory study.

The watercolours were exhibited and collected during Wilkie's lifetime. By the mid 1820s he had evolved a style of drawing to aid his picture-making, combining pen and ink with colour washes to help work out the tonal structure of a composition. This technique also allowed him to make quick and effective copies of the Old Masters which he saw on his travels and, as here, to record his own finished paintings.

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Does anyone else feel that sketches like this one have a dream-like quality?