Mer de Glace, Chamonix

Artist Francis Towne (Exeter, England, c.1740 - 1816)

Date1798

Mediumwatercolour on paper

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsSight Size: Height: 59.3 cm, Width: 88.2 cm
Frame: Height: 85.2 cm, Width: 113.1 cm, Depth: 2.1 cm

AcquisitionPurchased in 1959 with income from the Lyon Bequest.

CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG003686

Keywords

About MeFrancis Towne painted the awe inspiring vastness of the Alps. Although this watercolour has suffered from fading, 'Mer de Glace, Chamonix' is a fine example of his work. The foreground trees give a scale by which to measure the size of the glacier.

It is interesting that this painting was done twelve years after the original sketch, which records in an inscription the exact location and the direction of the light, "No. 9 glacier taken from Montanvert looking towards Mont Blanc, September 16, 1781 12 o'clock. Light from the right hand."
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Artists of Towne's time were interested in portraying the overawing power of nature, or "the sublime". Do you think this picture portrays that sense?