The Town of Beccles from the Bridge, Suffolk
Between 1811 and 1823 Cotman lived in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, where he designed and etched several series of prints. Longman & Company commissioned this drawing of the market town of Beccles, on the Waveney River, to illustrate Excursions in the County of Suffolk (1818–19). For his contributions to the project, which one critic has dubbed "topography turned high art," Cotman used ink lines and washes with masterful economy to distill the view; repeated forms of trees and boats frame the river and indicate recession. On the distant slope, terraced houses are lightly indicated and do not distract from the fourteenth-century church of St. Michael, reduced by the artist to a silhouette pierced by tiny lights and accentuated by diagonal rays in the sky.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Town of Beccles from the Bridge, Suffolk
- Artist: John Sell Cotman (British, Norwich 1782–1842 London)
- Date: ca. 1818
- Medium: Pen and brown pen, brush and wash, over graphite
- Dimensions: Sheet: 6 7/16 × 11 9/16 in. (16.3 × 29.3 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2017
- Object Number: 2017.348
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Multiple artists/makers
1822
John Sell Cotman
1838
John Sell Cotman
1838
John Sell Cotman
ca. 1818
John Sell Cotman
1803
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.