The Asylum for the Deaf
1750
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1750
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
The Asylum for the Deaf is a 1750 watercolor by John Collet, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a busy street scene at night. A group of musicians plays in the center, with one man holding a cello and another a horn. Around them, people in old-fashioned clothes watch or walk by—some look curious, others distracted. A dog sits near a cart, and a lantern hangs on the wall behind them. The buildings are made of brick, and a window with two women peering out adds to the lively crowd. The musicians might be performing for charity or just for fun. The artist used soft colors and shadows to show the nighttime glow. Look up chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow create drama in paintings.
A watercolour by John Collet from 1750 depicts groups of figures outside a building, some playing musical instruments, others distributing pamphlets, and one pushing a cart accompanied by a large dog. In the background, a woman with an ear trumpet stands in a window. The scene suggests a gathering or event associated with an institution for the deaf.
Read the full account in the museum source.
John Collet painted lively scenes of 18th-century London life, often in watercolour.
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