On the Thames at Hammersmith

ca. 1836

Not on view

Varley's delightfully fresh watercolor describes a Thameside scene on a sunny summer day. It centers on a large tree with spreading limbs and abundant foliage, a semi-rural riverbank beyond lined with unadorned buildings and a chimneyed brickworks. Rapidly applied washes describe a slatted fence silhouetted against sunlit grass and workers pursuing everyday tasks. Deft strokes evoke rushes, flowers and a drinking cow. For most of his career, the artist devoted himself to idealized compositions demonstrating principles that he promoted as a successful drawing master. At this moment, public interest in Varley's formal exhibition pieces had waned, and he felt free to create a group of brilliant studies in Hammersmith and Chiswick, their washy effects showing appreciation for technical innovations introduced by Peter De Wint, one of his most talented students.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: On the Thames at Hammersmith
Artist: John Varley (British, London 1778–1842 London)
Date: ca. 1836
Medium: Watercolor and graphite
Dimensions: Sheet: 7 3/4 × 11 in. (19.7 × 27.9 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Purchase, Brooke Russell Astor Bequest, 2013
Object Number: 2013.541
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

By John Varley

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A View of Chester, John Varley British, Watercolor, reinforced in places with gum, over graphite on card. — A View of Chester
John Varley
1836

On the Wharfe, Bolton Abbey, William Callow British, Watercolor — On the Wharfe, Bolton Abbey
William Callow
September 30, 1858

Eastern Coast of Rügen with Shepherd, Caspar David Friedrich German, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over graphite, with white opaque watercolor; partial framing lines in pen and brown-black ink — Eastern Coast of Rügen with Shepherd
Caspar David Friedrich
1805–6

Bamborough Castle from the Northeast, with Holy Island in the Distance, Northumberland, John Varley British, Watercolor and graphite with scratching out — Bamborough Castle from the Northeast, with Holy Island in the Distance, Northumberland
John Varley
1827

Stroh Violin, George Evans & Co. English, Mahogany and aluminum, British — Stroh Violin
George Evans & Co.
first quarter 20th century

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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.