Carmarthen Castle, Wales
Original title: Carmarthen Castle, Wales
kurzbeschreibung
Thomas Rowlandson made this view of Carmarthen Castle in Wales in 1797. Watercolour, pen and ink record the ruined castle, the town and the river with its sailing ships across a wide horizontal format.
Description
Several sailing ships lie at the riverbank in the foreground, their sails partly raised. The eye travels on to the town of Carmarthen with its houses and the crumbling castle. On the right a bridge crosses the river, lined with buildings. Mountains and a cloud-heavy sky close off the view. Blues, greens and browns shape the colouring, as is typical of watercolour.
Context
Rowlandson, otherwise known for his satirical and topographical work, drew this view on a journey through Wales. Carmarthen Castle was already in ruins at the time, and the sheet brings that out clearly. It belongs to a period when picturesque travel views enjoyed great popularity in Britain.
Impact
The quiet river landscape with its ruined castle feels melancholy and graceful at once. The broad layout lets the viewer wander the area without hurry.
Technique
Rowlandson combined watercolour with pen and ink. Ink outlines the houses and ships, while the landscape is washed in colour. The horizontal sheet (14.3 x 43.2 cm) offers a wide view of the kind common in sketches.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)