drawing
- Museum number
- 1868,0328.334
- Description
-
Gateway of Montagu House, the old British Museum; view looking east long Great Russell Street, with the gateway of Montagu House at left, a coach coming along the road, a sedan chair on the left pavement, and children at a fruit-stall against the wall, other figures in the street. 1778
Watercolour, with pen and grey ink
- Production date
- 1778
- Dimensions
-
Height: 155 millimetres
-
Width: 203 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- The following label text by Richard Stephens is from 2016, Jan-Aug, exh. BM, 'Light, Time, Legacy: Francis Towne's watercolours of Rome' (no catalogue) :
This is a view of the entrance to the 17th century mansion that was the British Museum's home during Towne's lifetime. Rooker's work exemplifies an approach to landscape whose chief goal was to convey topographical facts rather than evoke a mood. Like most 18th century watercolourists, usually Rooker outlined the main features of a scene in ink and, before adding colours, used a base layer of grey wash to define lit and shaded areas.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1934 BM, P&D Gallery, Exhibition of English Art, no.313
1958 Apr, BM, Eight centuries of landscape ... water-colours, case 52
1972, Oct, BM, The Art of Drawing, no.308
1993/4 Oct-Jan, Birmingham Museum, 'Canaletto', no. 88
2016, Jan-Aug, BM, 'Light, Time, Legacy: Francis Towne's watercolours of Rome' (no catalogue)
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0328.334
