Artwork
Landscape with Ruins

Landscape with Ruins is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist John Varley. It dates from 1810 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Landscape with Ruins is a graphite drawing enhanced with brown wash, created by English artist John Varley in 1810. It exemplifies his technical exploration beyond watercolor, his primary medium.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing falls within the landscape genre, a frequent theme in Varley's work. The inclusion of ruins suggests an exploration of the passage of time and the contrast between nature and human-made structures.
Technique & Style
Varley's use of graphite with brown wash in this piece reflects his watercolor background, adapting fluidity and depth techniques to a dry and semi-transparent medium.
History & Provenance
Created in 1810, during the ascendancy of watercolor in British art, the work aligns with topographical and picturesque movements, though executed in a different medium.
Context
Varley's artistic network included William Blake, with whom he collaborated on *Visionary Heads*. His dual interests in art and astrology (Varley was also an astrologer) might have influenced his thematic choices, though this is not directly evident in *Landscape with Ruins*.
Legacy
While *Landscape with Ruins* contributes to the broader landscape tradition in British art, specific details on its direct influence or reception history are not provided in the available information.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
John Varley (17 August 1778 – 17 November 1842) was an English watercolour painter and astrologer, and a close friend of William Blake.



![Study of a Head in Profile [verso], by John Varley](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-varley--study-of-a-head-in-profile-verso--3e16e84b6ceccae1-w320.webp)


![Two Studies of a Figure Holding a Basket [verso], by John Varley](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-varley--two-studies-of-a-figure-holding-a-basket-verso--7e8aaeb3f643e9b3-w320.webp)
![Landscape Composition [recto], by John Varley](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-varley--landscape-composition-recto--80ef59031f3b86dc-w320.webp)











