Romantic Landscape with Sheep and Figures

Artist John Varley (London, England, 1778 - 1842)

Date1841

Mediumwatercolour on paper

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsSight Size: Height: 30.2 cm, Width: 80.5 cm
Frame: Height: 46.2 cm, Width: 96.6 cm

AcquisitionBequeathed in 1994 by Professor A W Mcintosh.

CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG010824

Keywords

Romantic

About MeIt has been said of John Varley that his teaching "was the very backbone of the English school of watercolour. No one, excepting his contemporaries Turner and Girtin, did so much for its development...". In 1804 Varley helped to found the Old Watercolour Society, to whom he contributed over 700 works.

At his best, he aimed for sublimity and grandeur or, as in this romantic landscape, a gentle, contemplative restraint. A master of composition, he was convinced of the need for an artist to select and emphasize, telling his pupils "Nature wants cooking".

More About Me

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John Varley was an English watercolour painter and astrologer, and a close friend of William Blake. They collaborated in 1819–1820 on the book Visionary Heads, written by Varley and illustrated by Blake.