- Description
-
- Creator
- Francis Towne (1739 - 1816)
- Title(s)
-
- Tree Study
- Date
- No date
- Medium
- Pen and ink, watercolour
- Dimensions
-
- image width 371mm,
- image length 218mm
- Support
- two sheets with a Whatman watermark
- Object Type
- Watercolour
-
- Collection
-
- (1985)
- Catalogue Number
- FT633
- Description Sources
- Christie’s records (image)
Provenance
Bequeathed by the artist in 1816 to James White of Exeter (1744–1825), on whose death it passed to Towne’s residuary legatee John Herman Merivale (1779–1844) and his successors. Merivale’s granddaughters Maria Sophia Merivale (1853–1928) and Judith Ann Merivale (1860–1945), both of Oxford, inherited the drawing in May 1915 (probably BP244). On 3 August 1945 Judith Merivale sold it to Agnew’s (no.4193) for £15 and it was bought there on 29 October 1945 for £40 less commission of £2 by Sir William Worsley, Bt (1890–1973), whose family sold it at Christie’s on 20 November 1984, lot 77, for £9,180 to Spink & Son, from whom it was acquired on 16 April 1985 for £11,500 by the current owner, the University of Liverpool.
- Associated People & Organisations
- Victoria Gallery & Museum, University of Liverpool, 16 April 1985, GBP 11500
- Christie's, London, London, 20 November 1984, GBP 9180, lot 77
- Sir William Worsley (1890 - 1973), 29 October 1945, GBP 40
- Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 3 August 1945, GBP 15, no.4193
- Judith Ann Merivale (1860 - 1945), Oxford, May 1915, probably BP244
- Maria Sophia Merivale (1853 - 1928), Oxford, May 1915, probably BP244
- John Herman Merivale (1779 - 1844), 1825
- James White (1744 - 1825), Exeter, 1816
- Exhibition History
- Catalogue of a collection of pictures, drawings, furniture and works of art of the Empire and Regency period : select examples of Romano-British art, Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1929, no. 19
- [?] Early English Drawings by Francis Towne and John White Abbott, Oxford Arts Club, 1931, no. 13 as 'Study of Trees, BP244'
- Watercolours by Francis Towne, City Art Gallery, 1950, no. 5
- [?] 77th Annual Exhibition of Water-Colour Drawings, Thomas Agnew & Sons, 1950, no. 113
- Three Centuries of British Water-colours, Arts Council, 1951, no. 193
- Landscape in Britain, ca. 1750-1850, Tate Gallery, 1973, no. 104
- Bibliography
- Paul Oppé, 'Francis Towne, Landscape Painter', The Walpole Society: London, 1920, p. 125 (?)
- Adrian Bury, Francis Towne - Lone Star of Water-Colour Painting, Charles Skilton: London, 1962, p. 141
- Sir William Worsley, Early English Water-Colours at Hovingham Hall: 1963, p. 9
Other entries in Unidentified Subjects, ca. 1783–1800
Landscape with Horseman and Goats
National Gallery National Gallery of Victoria
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Comment
See the Comment at FT624. This drawing, which seems to depict a yew tree, was described as “Tree The Avenue 1800” in Agnew’s Drawing Book.