A View of Lower Rydal Falls, Cumbria
Fearnley visited the Lake District with Charles West Cope in August 1837, and here sketched Lower Rydal Falls from a summer house built to allow a comfortable vantage point. Born in Norway to a merchant father of British parentage, the artist studied with the leading painting Christian Dahl in Dresden and, like his teacher, became a proponent of Romantic naturalism. As a student he sought Scandinavian sites previously considered too rough or barbaric, and remained an inveterate traveler, visiting Italy (1832–35), Switzerland, and England (1836–8). In the latter he focused on subjects in the Lake District and Yorkshire dales, using this sketch to capture the mysterious beauty of sunlight penetrating dense foliage to glisten over moving water.
Artwork Details
- Title: A View of Lower Rydal Falls, Cumbria
- Artist: Thomas Fearnley (Norwegian, Frederikshald 1802–1842 Munich)
- Date: 1837
- Medium: Watercolor, pen and ink, gray and white heightening, on beige paper
- Dimensions: sheet: 20 9/16 x 14 5/8 in. (52.3 x 37.1 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Gift of Roberta J. M. Olson and Alexander B. V. Johnson, 2011
- Object Number: 2011.564.2
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Thomas Fearnley
1824–42
Thomas Fearnley
1836
Thomas Fearnley
ca. 1833–35
Thomas Fearnley
1839
Thomas Fearnley
1837
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.