The history of John Gilpin, as read by Mr Henderson
1785
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1785
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
The history of John Gilpin, as read by Mr Henderson is a 1785 watercolor by Henry Wigstead, a Rococo painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This watercolor shows a wild, chaotic street scene. A man in fancy clothes is being chased by a runaway horse, while a crowd of onlookers watches in shock. Some people laugh, others point, and a few try to help. Above them, a balcony holds more figures peering down. The building has a simple design with a window and a bell in a small frame on the wall. The artist packed the scene with exaggerated expressions and movement, making it feel like a story unfolding in real time. The loose, sketchy lines give it an energetic, almost cartoonish look. Next, check out Romanticism to see how this style used drama and emotion in art.
A watercolour by Henry Wigstead from 1785 depicts the comic misadventures of John Gilpin, who, while traveling with his family to the Bell Inn in Edmonton, loses control of his horse and is carried ten miles to Ware. The work is signed and dated by the artist. The scene illustrates Gilpin’s separation from his party during the chaotic journey, a narrative based on an 18th-century anecdote popularized by William Cowper’s 1782 ballad. The story is said to reference a real London linen draper, possibly Mr Beyer of Paternoster Row.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Henry Wigstead’s watercolours bring 18th-century stories to life in bright, playful strokes.
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