Artwork
An Amateur
An Amateur is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Andrew Carrick RA RI Gow. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Andrew Carrick Gow’s watercolour An Amateur, executed in 1870, depicts a solitary figure engaged in music. The work is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection, where it is displayed as an example of late‑nineteenth‑century genre painting in the medium of watercolor.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a man in a red vest, white shirt and black trousers, holding a violin before a modest music stand. He stands beside a chair, his posture suggesting concentration rather than performance, inviting the viewer to contemplate the private act of practice and the quiet dedication of an amateur musician.
Technique & Style
Rendered in watercolor, Gow employs a restrained palette of muted tones, allowing the red of the vest to become the focal point. Delicate washes create soft shadows that model the figure’s form, while fine brushwork captures the texture of fabric and the gleam of the instrument, achieving a realistic yet intimate atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Created in 1870, An Amateur entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s holdings through acquisition (specific details of purchase are not recorded in the available sources). The painting has remained in the museum’s collection, serving as a reference point for the study of British watercolour practice in the Victorian era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Scottish artist Andrew Carrick Gow painted everyday life in watercolor during the late 1800s.
The Violin Teacher
The Boy Violinist
Böömiläinen viuluniekka
Auzul
A Violinist and a Flutist Playing Music together (The Musicians)
A Violinist and a Flutist Playing Music together (The Musicians)
Wandering Musician
Luigi Boccherini
Old man with a fiddle
Shepherd boy playing the fiddle
Violinist
A Young Violoncellist