Terms and conditions of use
Ruined castle on a cliff
(c. 1810-1820)
Medium
watercolour over pencil
Measurements
37.5 × 50.4 cm (sheet)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Bequest of Howard Spensley, 1939
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
In 1802 Samuel Prout was persuaded by the antiquary John Britton to move from Plymouth to London and work as a draughtsman on the serial publication The Beauties of England and Wales (1801–15). Prout began exhibiting watercolours in the capital, and produced several topographical publications devoted to rustic English subjects, although he began to specialise in foreign scenery following his first trip abroad in 1819. This large watercolour is from the early years of his career; in its depiction of a ruined castle, replete with weeds and crumbling masonry, it caters to an audience tutored in the principles of the picturesque aesthetic.
Artwork Details
Accession Number
618-4
Department
International Prints and Drawings
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of the Joe White Bequest
Subjects (general)
Architecture Landscapes Sites
Subjects (specific)
bird (animal) castles (fortifications) groups of people rivers rocks (landforms) ruins