Artwork
The Maison Abbatiale or Logis Abbatial, Abbey of St Ouen, Rouen.
The Maison Abbatiale or Logis Abbatial, Abbey of St Ouen, Rouen. is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist John Sell Cotman. It dates from 1824 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This watercolour depicts the Maison Abbatiale at the Abbey of St Ouen in Rouen, capturing the structure before its 1816 demolition.
About this work
Overview
This watercolour depicts the Maison Abbatiale at the Abbey of St Ouen in Rouen, capturing the structure before its 1816 demolition.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a grand, ornate building with a tall tower, featuring intricate carvings and numerous windows. Figures in period attire, some on horseback, are gathered in front.
Technique & Style
The work is a watercolour, reproducing a view by another artist. Its style is suggestive of the Romanticism movement, which often emphasized detailed, picturesque representations of historical subjects.
History & Provenance
Created for Archdeacon Charles Parr Burney, the watercolour was exhibited at the Norwich Society of Artists in 1824.
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.
Architectural Antiquities of Normandy (Vol. II), Pl. 64: House in the Place de la Pucelle, at Rouen
Facisimilies of Sketches made in Flanders and Germany: Thein Church, Prague
Beaudesert Park, near Lichfield
Topographical drawing
Boley Hill and Castle, Rochester, with the "Justice Tree"
Chinqua's house, with entrance to China Street, Canton
Orta Kapi or the Middle Gate of Topkapi Sarayi
An Old House in the Rue Saint Jean at Caen, Normandy
Street Scene
The Misericordia Church and part of the Senate House, Macao