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Untitled

J. Cousins

1778

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism 18th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Untitled is a 1778 by J. Cousins, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: J. Cousins
When & what style?: 1778 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows an old stone building with arched doorways and crumbling walls. The lines are light and faint, like a quick study. Some spots are smudged or worn, as if the paper has aged. The artist focused on the rough texture of the stones and the way light might hit them. It feels like a rough draft, not a finished work. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build up shadows with lines.

The story of this work

Overview

The drawing depicts the arch of Drusus, opening into the interior of a ruined structure. It was once included in an album of designs assembled by architect Charles James Richardson, which the museum acquired from him in 1863.

Read the full account in the museum source.