Who painted A second drawing done from the same blot?

A second drawing done from the same blot was painted by Alexander Cozens in 1785.

Where can I see A second drawing done from the same blot?

A second drawing done from the same blot is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A second drawing done from the same blot?

A second drawing done from the same blot is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

A second drawing done from the same blot

Alexander Cozens , 1785

A second drawing done from the same blot is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Alexander Cozens. It dates from 1785 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1785, this work is a print by Alexander Cozens executed as a lift‑ground aquatint combined with mezzotint. It is rendered in brown tones on laid paper and represents a second drawing derived from the same initial blot as an earlier piece.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a dimly lit landscape where a line of tall trees dominates the centre, their branches extending upward like pointed fingers. Above, soft, swirling clouds fill the sky, while the foreground suggests a mixture of shrubbery and a winding path or watercourse, evoking a quiet, dreamlike atmosphere.

Technique & Style

Cozens employed the lift‑ground aquatint process, which allows for broad, tonal washes, alongside mezzotint to achieve deep, layered browns. The use of laid paper contributes a subtle texture, and the combination of methods produces a rich, atmospheric depth characteristic of late‑eighteenth‑century printmaking.

History & Provenance

The print was produced as a follow‑up to an earlier drawing made from the same blot, indicating Cozens’ interest in exploring variations on a single compositional seed. It remains catalogued as part of his series of landscape studies from the 1780s.

Context

Cozens’ work aligns with the emerging Romantic sensibility that favored evocative, moody landscapes over precise topographical detail. The emphasis on atmosphere and the suggestion of the sublime place the piece within the broader shift toward emotional expression in late eighteenth‑century art.