Watercolor and graphite on thick, slightly textured, cream laid paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 10 1/8 x 14 13/16 inches (25.7 x 37.6 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1975.3.1002
Gallery Label:
In 1782 Beckford took Cozens along on a tour of Italy. This view of the volcanic lake of Vico belonged to a set of almost one hundred watercolors that Cozens made for Beckford as souvenirs after their return home in 1783. By sticking to a palette of pale greens, blues, and grays, Cozens strikes a melancholy note. His affective use of watercolor relies on a series of accomplished technical effects: sharp shifts from light to dark, small staccato patches of pigment, limpid washes over the granular paper surface, and the blotting of wet washes to create random textures. The result is a landscape of unusual expressive qualities. 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)
