Study of a landscape with a river, identified as a view in Dovedale, Derbyshire. Inscribed on verso (handwritten in ink): 'T G 1798'. Made by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 - 1797), c.1786. Ink wash over pencil on laid paper. Displayed in a cream window mount.

Exhibitions:

  • Title: Wright of Derby: The Bi-centenary Exhibition of Paintings by Joseph Wright
    Venue: Derby Corporation Art Gallery
    Dates: from 03/09/1934 to 18/11/1934
  • Title: Pictures by Joseph Wright of Derby
    Venue: Graves Art Gallery
    Dates: from 17/07/1950 to 27/07/1950
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby
    Venue: Norwich Castle Museum
    Dates: from 03/01/1959 to 01/02/1959
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734 - 1797
    Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
    Dates: from to
  • Title: Landscape in Britain
    Venue: Tate Gallery
    Dates: from 20/11/1973 to 03/02/1974
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: An Exhibition to Commemorate the Centenary of Derby Museums and Art Gallery
    Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
    Dates: from 21/04/1979 to 21/07/1979
  • Title: Wright of Derby
    Venue: Tate Gallery
    Dates: from 16/04/1990 to 16/04/1990
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734-1797: Bicentenary Exhibition
    Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
    Dates: from 21/06/1997 to 28/09/1997
  • Title: Joseph Wright Drawings
    Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
    Dates: from 01/06/2013 to 20/09/2013

Publications

  • Title: Wright of Derby
    Published Place: London
    Copyright: The Tate Gallery
    Published Year: 1990
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby 1734 - 1797
    Sub-Title: An introduction to the work of Joseph Wright of Derby with a catalogue of drawings held by Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Published on the occasion of an exhibition commemorating the Bicentenary of the artist's death.
    Published Place: Derby
    Published Year: 1997
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Painter of Light
    Sub-Title: Volume 1
    Volume: 1
    Published Place: London
    Copyright: Benedict Nicolson, 1968
    Published Year: 1968
  • Title: Alexander and John Robert Cozens
    Sub-Title: The Poetry of Landscape
    Published Place: New Haven and London
    Published Year: 1986

Related People

  • Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)

    Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797

    Nationality: British

    Biography: Artist.

Study of Dovedale, Derbyshire

Date: c. 1786

Medium: Ink wash over pencil on laid paper.

Object Type:Drawing
Dimensions:Support: 378 × 546 mm (14 7/8 × 21 1/2 in.)
Description:Kim Sloan notes that this drawing shares stylistic similarities with the work of Alexander Cozens, especially in his use of light and shade, which is close to the finished wash drawings that Cozens produced for 'A New Method of Assisting the Invention in Drawing Original Compositions of Landscape' (published 1785). Sloan suggests that the stron influence of Alexander Cozens's work on Wright's work may in part be due to them having met in Derbyshire. They both produced work for Lord Scarsdale at Kedleston in the mid 1750s. Wright and John Robert Cozens both appear to have been working in Matlock in 1772 (e.g. 'An Earthstopper' and 'Rocks with Waterfall'), and Bath in 1776. See Sloan, K. 'Alexander and John Robert Cozens: The Poetry of Landscape', 1986, p.83 and p.99. [LB: 2024] The finished oil painting of 'Dovedale', signed and dated 1786, (Nicolson cat.319, pl.252, private collection), is very faithful to this study; only swans, a tiny fishing boat and a broken branch to the foreground have been added to indicate the scale and grandeur of the scene. The unusual 'negative' shading of the trees and foliage to the extreme right and left testify to the influence of Alexander Cozens. Nicolson doubted if the 'Falls of Tivoli' from the same group, actually corresponded to an actual scene; here also there are similar doubts. Cozens, and indeed Sir Joshua Reynolds in his 'Discourses' advised artists not to paint nature 'in her natural state', but to use their skill to beautify and classify nature, thereby elevating the composition above a 'mere' view. So it is perhaps not surprising that the scene does not appear to actually correspond with the topographical reality of Dovedale in Derbyshire. [Wallis, J. 'Joseph Wright of Derby' (1997), p.106.] In his catalogue entry for the painting that was based on this drawing, Nicolson notes that the identification of the view as being in Dovedale is uncertain, citing the 1934 Derby exhibition catalogue (nos.68 and 114) in which it states that it is now a scene in Dovedale. [see Nicolson, B. 'Joseph Wright of Derby' (1968), p.266, cat.319.] Inscriptions on this drawing, and others in the same group (DBYMU 1921-837), suggest that it was given to Gisborne by John Holland of Ford in 1798, the year after Wright died. Holland served as an executor to Wright's will and was responsible for dispersing the contents of his studio. [LB: 2024] Yoxall Lodge and its contents were sold at auction, conducted by Messrs Winterton & Sons of Lichfield, between 7 and 9 September 1921. This is recorded in an advertisement in the Tamworth Herald for Saturday 3 September, in which it mentions 'oil paintings by Bogdani and Joseph Wright, ARA.' The advertisement states that a catalogue was available, but I have not been able to locate this so far. It is assumed that Crosland purchased the portfolio of drawings at the auction and sold it to DM shortly afterwards. [LB: 2024]
Inscriptions:Inscribed on verso (handwritten in ink): 'T G 1798'.
Provenance:?With Wright's executor, John Holland of Ford Hall, Derbyshire, by whom given to Reverend Thomas Gisborne of Yoxall Lodge, Staffordshire, in 1798; with the Hon. Mrs Emily Wingfield Griffiths (previously the Hon. Mrs Emily Wingfield Gisborne) of Yoxall Lodge by 1883, by whom sold Winterton & Sons of Lichfield, 7-9 September 1921; purchased by E. Crosland of Derby, from whom purchased by Derby Museums in 1921.
Viewing Status:Contact Us
Item Ref:1921-837/4
Browse Collection
Browse Collection