Artwork
Landscape Sketch with Bridge and Castle
Landscape Sketch with Bridge and Castle is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist John Sell Cotman. It dates from 1812 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in later hand, lower right in graphite: C; lower left verso in graphite: 471
About this work
Overview
Landscape Sketch with Bridge and Castle is a graphite drawing on wove paper created by John Sell Cotman in 1812. It is a characteristic example of the artist's landscape work.
Subject & Meaning
The sketch depicts a landscape featuring a bridge, a castle on a hill, and scattered trees and bushes. The loose, expressive lines suggest a spontaneous capture of a scene, possibly observed during travel or as a preliminary study.
Technique & Style
Executed in graphite on textured wove paper, the drawing showcases Cotman's use of loose, gestural lines to convey a sense of immediacy. The sketch's rough, unfinished quality is typical of a rapid study or observational note.
Context
This work is associated with the Norwich School, a group of artists known for their landscape paintings. Cotman's sketch also reflects the influence of Romanticism, an art movement that emphasized the expressive and emotive qualities of natural scenery.
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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.
