Description
Creator
Francis Towne (1739 - 1816)
Title(s)
  • Plymouth
  • Near Plymouth Harbour
Date
1810
Medium
Pencil, pen and ink, watercolour
Dimensions
  • image width 168mm,
  • image width 254mm
Part of
  • 1810 Sketchbook
Object Type
Watercolour

Catalogue Number
FT711
Description Sources
Examination; Museum records; Witt Library (image)

Provenance

Bequeathed by Francis Towne in 1816 to James White of Exeter (1744–1825), on whose death it passed to Towne’s residuary legatee John Herman Merivale (1779–1844) and his successors. Merivale’s granddaughters Maria Sophia Merivale (1853–1928) and Judith Ann Merivale (1860–1945), both of Oxford, inherited the drawing in May 1915 within a sketchbook containing FT689 to FT714, much or all of which by 1963 was owned by Mr and Mrs Sutton of New Zealand. On 19 June 1963 they sold seventeen drawings from the book, including this one, to the Fine Art Society (no.7772) for £3,750. This drawing (no.7772/12) was sold to Bruce Howe for £483. In 1973 it was given to the current owner, Rhode Island School of Design (73.204.51(471)), by an anonymous donor.

Associated People & Organisations

Rhode Island Museum of Art, School of Design, Providence, 1973, 73.204.51(471)
Dr Bruce Howe, GBP 483
The Fine Art Society, London, London, 19 June 1963, GBP 3750, no.7772/12
Mr & Mrs Sutton, New Zealand, June 1963
Judith Ann Merivale (1860 - 1945), Oxford, May 1915
The drawing was inherited within a sketchbook containing FT689 to FT714.
Maria Sophia Merivale (1853 - 1928), Oxford, May 1915
The drawing was inherited within a sketchbook containing FT689 to FT714.
John Herman Merivale (1779 - 1844), 1825
James White (1744 - 1825), Exeter, 1816
Exhibition History
Early English Water-colours and Drawings, Fine Art Society, 1964, no. 90 as 'Near Plymouth Harbour'

Comment

The spire of St Andrew’s Church, also visible in FT708, is in the right-hand distance.

by Richard Stephens

Revisions & Feedback

The website will be updated from time to time and, when changes are made, a PDF of the previous version of each page will be archived here for consultation and citation.

Please help us to improve this catalogue


If you have information, a correction or any other suggestions to improve this catalogue, please contact us.