Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1976.7.118
Gallery Label:
Edward I constructed Caernarvon Castle after his conquest of Wales in 1282, envisioning it as a symbol of English dominance over the region. The castle derived further authority from its association with the Roman myth of Magnus Maximus, father of Constantine and first independent king of Britain. Appropriating the status of this prestigious predecessor, Edward drew inspiration from Roman design; the polygonal towers and multicolored stone reference Roman forts and the walls of Constantinople. Eighteenth-century artists favored Caernarvon for its folkloric associations with Rome. Here, Joseph Farington positions the viewer inside the castle, emphasizing its grandeur and timelessness, even in ruin. Gallery label for Art in Focus: The British Castle - A Symbol in Stone (Yale Center for British Art, 2017-04-07 - 2017-08-06)