William Callow, 1812–1908, British, active in France
Title:
Blois on the Loire
Date:
1856
Materials & Techniques:
Watercolor over graphite on moderately thick, moderately textured, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 5 5/16 x 13 3/8 inches (13.5 x 34 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1975.3.1106
Gallery Label:
In 1829 William Callow went to Paris to work as an engraver. Two years later he met Thomas Shotter Boys, who encouraged him to sketch in watercolor. Callow’s progress was rapid. By 1834 he was teaching watercolor painting to the family of King Louis Philippe of France. This small sketch was made on a trip down the river Loire in 1856 and captures all of the most notable sites in Blois: the famous Chateau to the far left, the church of St. Nicholas alongside, and the eighteenth-century bridge of eleven arches designed by Jacques Gabriel. Sketches such as this allowed Callow to build up a stock of images on which to base finished landscapes for exhibition back in London. Gallery label for Great British Watercolors from the Paul Mellon Collection at the Yale Center for British Art (Yale Center for British Art, 2008-06-09 - 2008-08-17)