458 - W. WATTS (*1752) after HEARNE (*1744), Ranston Country House in Dorsetshire, 1779, etching

W. WATTS (*1752) after HEARNE (*1744), Ranston Country House in Dorsetshire, 1779, etching William Watts (1752–1851) after Thomas Hearne (1744–1817): Ranston Country Estate in Dorsetshire—a park landscape featuring the Ranston country estate in Dorsetshire and figures by the water, 1779, etching Technique: Etching on paper Print Quality: Excellent, well-balanced print. Inscription: Signed on the printing plate at the bottom: "T. Hearne del. / W. Watts sculp.". Inscribed on the printing plate at the bottom: “Ranston, in Dorsetshire, the Seat of Thos. Ryves Esqr.; Published as the Act directs, April 1, 1779, by W. Watts, Kents Row, Chelsea.” Date: 1779 Description: A rectangular print depicting a wide park landscape with a Neoclassical country house in the left midground. Tall trees frame the scene on either side and form a dark backdrop around the light-colored open space. A body of water or canal runs through the foreground; in it lies a small boat with a seated figure, and next to it, a child on the bank. On the left, a couple is walking. Other small staffage figures enliven the background. Delicate lines, dense hatching, and graduated tonal values render the treetops, architecture, and water’s surface. The line of sight extends from the shore, past the house, into the open distance. The motif combines landscape vedute, estate depictions, and orderly park scenery. 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: Landscape; Park; Country house; Manor house; Trees; Waters; Boat; Figurative figures; Strollers; Child; Veduta; Architecture; Shore; Canal; Neoclassical facade; Tree framing; English country estate; Print; 18th century; Classicism; Landscape; United Kingdom; Size: Paper: 20.0 cm x 24.5 cm (7.9 x 9.6 in), Plate: 16.3 cm x 19.8 cm (6.4 x 7.8 in), Image area: 13.0 cm x 17.9 cm (5.1 x 7 in) Condition: Good condition. Slightly browned sheet with minor age toning along the margins and a few small stains; wide margins present. Pale liquid stain in the lower left corner.