tour 3 of 18
Samuel Palmer
Samuel Palmer, Sketchbook: Donkey-like Animal and Tree Studies, brown ink, graphite and watercolour
The pages featured here are from an oblong
notebook which originally contained ninety-two leaves. It records a
combination of studies, compositions and writings from one of
Palmer's most creative periods. The pictures are the first
surviving 'visionary' works that Palmer created and
contrast strongly with the naturalistic style of his earlier
sketchbook of
1819.
Although Palmer may
not have met Blake at this time, he was certainly familiar with his
work through Linnell. This is reflected in the sketchbook, which
seems to echo some of Blake's wood engravings, although the
designs are very much Palmer's own. The drawings are
produced largely in pen, although watercolour is sometimes added.
It is lucky that this sketchbook has survived, because many others
from the same period were tragically burnt by Palmer's son
A.H. Palmer. He did this because he feared that they showed
'unmanly' qualities which would damage his
father's
reputation.
Donkey-like
Animal, leaf 17 verso, is a splendid frontal
view of an animal that seems to be more the product of imagination
than observation. Like many of Palmer's visionary works,
this invented creature is drawn precisely and close-up.
Tree Studies, leaf 62
verso, was presumably made in the winter of 1824/5. The inscription
at lower left, together with the sketch of a line of trees along a
path, suggests that the picture was based on direct
observation.