On the Thames at Hammersmith

ca. 1836

Not on view

Varley's delightfully fresh watercolor describes a Thameside scene on a sunny summer day. It centers on a large tree with spreading limbs and abundant foliage, a semi-rural riverbank beyond lined with unadorned buildings and a chimneyed brickworks. Rapidly applied washes describe a slatted fence silhouetted against sunlit grass and workers pursuing everyday tasks. Deft strokes evoke rushes, flowers and a drinking cow. For most of his career, the artist devoted himself to idealized compositions demonstrating principles that he promoted as a successful drawing master. At this moment, public interest in Varley's formal exhibition pieces had waned, and he felt free to create a group of brilliant studies in Hammersmith and Chiswick, their washy effects showing appreciation for technical innovations introduced by Peter De Wint, one of his most talented students.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: On the Thames at Hammersmith
Artist: John Varley (British, London 1778–1842 London)
Date: ca. 1836
Medium: Watercolor and graphite
Dimensions: Sheet: 7 3/4 × 11 in. (19.7 × 27.9 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Purchase, Brooke Russell Astor Bequest, 2013
Object Number: 2013.541
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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