PAUL SANDBY PRINTS
Paul
Sandby 1731-1809 was a foundation
member of the Royal Academy and during the latter half of the 18th
century became known as the “father of modern landscape painting in
watercolours”. However, while continuing to paint pictures in oils and
aquatints, he also, from the age of 16, when he was employed as draughtsman to
the Military Survey of North Britain working in Edinburgh, produced many
drawings of street life, buildings and views.
After the Act of Union with Scotland,
following the failure of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, he also travelled
round and drew many areas of the Scottish Highlands which had not previously
been accessible.
After
he resigned from the Military Survey and came South he stayed in Lower Lodge,
Windsor Great Park with his brother, Thomas Sandby, who had been appointed
Deputy Ranger. Together they published a series of engravings of the Park in
1754. In 1768 he was appointed Chief Drawing Master at the Royal Military
Academy, Woolwich, and moved to London. Although this became his permanent
residence throughout his professional life, he continued to spend time with his
brother in the Park until Thomas died in 1798 and also with his son Thomas Paul
and family who lived in a house on Englefield Green.
From
1770 he travelled round Wales, producing many drawings of large estates and
views which were published as XII Views in South Wales and XII Views
in North Wales. Other books of drawings included The Virtuosi’s
Museum, 1778-1781. Even after his death, prints made from his drawings of
many parts of Britain continued to be
sold.
On
display is a selection of prints from the Oliver Collection (some engraved by
M. A. Rooker, an eminent engraver of the late 18th century).
Joan
Wintour
November
2011