Artwork
Tower at Pembroke Castle
Tower at Pembroke Castle is an ink print by the Romanticist artist of Eldin, John Clerk. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Tower at Pembroke Castle is an etching on laid paper created by John Clerk of Eldin around 1776, portraying the castle in a state of ruin.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts Pembroke Castle as a crumbling, isolated structure on a rocky hill, conveying a sense of abandonment and decay rather than former grandeur.
Technique & Style
Executed through etching, the work features expressive, scratchy ink lines and uneven shading, which impart a tactile quality to the castle's stone textures.
History & Provenance
Notably, Clerk of Eldin created the etching from a secondary sketch, having never personally visited Wales, influencing the work's perspective and interpretation.
Context
As one of the earliest prints to represent Pembroke Castle in a ruined state, it reflects a growing 18th-century interest in antiquity and the aesthetic of decay.
Artist & collection
