Study of mountains, possibly a view towards Catbells

The composition depicts a serene view of the Lake District hills, likely oriented toward the summit of Catbells, a peak that later featured in the author’s children’s narrative about Mrs. Tiggy‑Winkle. While the study does not convey a narrative, it illustrates the natural environment that inspired many of the author’s later illustrations of flora and fauna.

Using watercolor applied in transparent washes atop a penciled underdrawing, the artist achieved a soft atmospheric effect. The limited palette and loose handling emphasize tonal variation over detail, characteristic of quick field studies intended to record light and form rather than produce a finished illustration.

The piece originates from a period when the artist and her family spent annual summers at Lingholm, near Keswick. During these stays she routinely sketched local scenery, including Derwentwater and surrounding peaks. The study remained in private hands before being acquired by a major museum collection, where it is now catalogued as part of her early landscape work.