679 - W. WATTS (1752-1851), Tehidy Park in Cornwall, 1781, Etching

W. WATTS (1752-1851), Tehidy Park in Cornwall, 1781, Etching William Watts (1752 - 1851 ): Tehidy Park in Cornwall Tehidy Park in Cornwall, country estate of Sir Francis Bassett with park and cattle, 1781, Etching Technique: Etching on Paper Impression Quality: Excellent, harmonious print. Inscription: Lower right signed in the printing plate: "W. Watts delin.t et sculpt.". At the lower part inscribed in the printing plate: "Tehidy Park in Cornwall, the Seat of Sir Francis Bassett Bart.; Published as the Act directs, Sept. 17, 1781, by W. Watts, Chelsea.". Date: 1781 Description: An expansive park landscape unfolds in landscape format. Tall, loosely grouped trees frame the scene on the left and right and open up the view to a stately country house in the centre. In front of it, several cattle graze on gently sloping terrain; their calm postures enliven the foreground as staffage. Behind the house, strips of woodland and distant hills stretch to the horizon. The sky is filled with moving clouds. Delicate, horizontal and intersecting hatching models light, shadow and aerial perspective. The composition combines topographical accuracy with a representative staging of the country estate as an ordered natural space. Source: William Watts (1752 -1851 ) The seats of the nobility and gentry, in a collection of the most interesting and picturesque views, 1779 | Book, Architecture Keywords: Park landscape; Country estate; Manor house; Cornwall; Cattle; Trees; Pastureland; Hilly landscape; Cloudy sky; Staffage; Veduta; Topography; Gutshof; Natural space; Print graphic; Hatching; Aerial perspective; Transverse format; 18th century; Classicism; Landscape; United Kingdom; Size: Paper: 20,0 cm x 23,9 cm (7,9 x 9,4 in), Plate: 15,5 cm x 20,0 cm (6,1 x 7,9 in), Depiction: 12,4 cm x 18,2 cm (4,9 x 7,2 in) Condition: Good condition. Slight paper age toning and minor margin discolouration; scattered small stains in the wide margins; overall clean condition. Paper superficially rubbed in the lower right margin. A delicate scratch visible in the image. The corners of the sheet minimally bumped.