Bristol Cathedral from College Green

About this work

This sketch shows a tall, pointy cathedral with lots of thin lines and sharp angles. The building has a tall spire and smaller towers, with windows and arches drawn in quick, light strokes. Around it, trees and smaller buildings are barely sketched in—just enough to show where they stand. The artist used only graphite, leaving most of the paper white to focus on the cathedral’s shape. The lines are loose, almost like a quick note rather than a finished drawing. Next, look up Girtin, Thomas to see how he turned simple sketches into powerful views.