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On the North Coast of Devon, Lundy Island in the Distance

ca. 1835
Not on view
During the mid-1830s, Samuel Palmer moved away from the visionary style of his youthful Shoreham period when he belonged to a group of like-minded artists known as the "Ancients." In this coastal view of a county he dubbed "dear, spongy Devon," Palmer's obsessive attention to detail and penchant for striking color serve a naturalistic vision. A highly finished promontory in the center of the scene contrasts with a loosely-sketched foreground, and the inventive process is underscored by black chalk lines applied over the watercolor to emphasize the graphite sketch beneath. Lundy Island, seen on the right horizon, lies in the Bristol Channel, twelve miles north of Devon. Palmer first toured the area in 1834, and likely made the present watercolor during a return visit a year later.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: On the North Coast of Devon, Lundy Island in the Distance
  • Artist: Samuel Palmer (British, London 1805–1881 Redhill, Surrey)
  • Date: ca. 1835
  • Medium: Watercolor and black chalk over graphite with touches of gouache (bodycolor)
  • Dimensions: sheet: 10 11/16 x 14 15/16 in. (27.1 x 38 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1970
  • Object Number: 1970.178
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Opening the Fold, or Early Morning, Samuel Palmer British, Etching; third state of ten, retouched in graphite
Opening the Fold, or Early Morning
Samuel Palmer
1880
Opening the Fold, or Early Morning, Samuel Palmer British, Etching; third state of ten
Opening the Fold, or Early Morning
Samuel Palmer
1880
The Rising Moon, Samuel Palmer British, Etching; sixth or between sixth and seventh state of nine
The Rising Moon
Samuel Palmer
ca. 1855
The Skylark, Samuel Palmer British, Etching on chine collé; seventh or eighth state of eight
The Skylark
Samuel Palmer
1850
Christmas, or Folding the Last Sheep, Samuel Palmer British, Etching; second state of five
Christmas, or Folding the Last Sheep
Samuel Palmer
1850

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