Artwork
Landscape Sketch with Bridge and Castle
Landscape Sketch with Bridge and Castle is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist John Sell Cotman. It dates from 1812 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Landscape Sketch with Bridge and Castle is a graphite drawing on wove paper created by John Sell Cotman in 1812. It is a characteristic example of the artist's landscape work.
Subject & Meaning
The sketch depicts a landscape featuring a bridge, a castle on a hill, and scattered trees and bushes. The loose, expressive lines suggest a spontaneous capture of a scene, possibly observed during travel or as a preliminary study.
Technique & Style
Executed in graphite on textured wove paper, the drawing showcases Cotman's use of loose, gestural lines to convey a sense of immediacy. The sketch's rough, unfinished quality is typical of a rapid study or observational note.
Context
This work is associated with the Norwich School, a group of artists known for their landscape paintings. Cotman's sketch also reflects the influence of Romanticism, an art movement that emphasized the expressive and emotive qualities of natural scenery.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Sell Cotman (16 May 1782 – 24 July 1842) was an English marine and landscape painter, etcher, illustrator, and a leading member of the Norwich School of painters.
