Near Durham
In addition to working in oils and watercolors, Cotman was a prolific etcher, issuing his first prints in 1811. This etching comes from a group published in 1838 by Henry G. Bohn from Cotman’s plates for a set devoted to "principles of Landscape composition." The title of the series, Liber Studiorum (Book of Studies), derives from that used by J. M. W. Turner in a famous 1807–9 series of prints in which the artist sought to elevate landscape as a poetic and sublime genre. Cotman’s most evocative images are decidedly more rustic than Turner’s. Near Durham centers on a medieval tower that once fronted a Norman church, with a ruined wall and buried arch shown in the background to suggest what was lost.
Artwork Details
- Title: Near Durham
- Series/Portfolio: Liber Studiorum: A Series of Sketches and Studies
- Artist: John Sell Cotman (British, Norwich 1782–1842 London)
- Publisher: Henry George Bohn (British, London 1796–1884 Twickenham)
- Published in: London
- Date: 1838
- Medium: Soft-ground etching
- Dimensions: Plate: 11 3/4 × 8 3/4 in. (29.8 × 22.2 cm)
Sheet: 13 1/2 × 9 5/8 in. (34.3 × 24.5 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1922
- Object Number: 22.100(36)
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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1822
John Sell Cotman
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John Sell Cotman
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John Sell Cotman
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