Watercolor and graphite on medium, moderately textured, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 4 1/16 x 9 3/4 inches (10.3 x 24.8 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1975.4.1769
Gallery Label:
Cornelius Varley was the younger brother of John and, like him, worked in watercolor. But Cornelius's interests gradually shifted from painting to scientific pursuits, particularly in the field of optics. In 1805 Cornelius was still committed to painting, and a tour of Wales yielded this study of cottages. Typically for Cornelius, details such as the door have been painted with scrupulous fidelity while the left-hand side of the cottage is barely sketched in. What was distinctive about Cornelius Varley's attitude to these sketches was his willingness to exhibit them as works of art in their own right. By doing so he helped transform the status of the sketch in the nineteenth century from a mere aide mémoire to the purest expression of an artist's engagement with nature. Gallery label for Great British Watercolors from the Paul Mellon Collection at the Yale Center for British Art (Yale Center for British Art, 2008-06-09 - 2008-08-17)
