English watercolours and drawings / Conrad Martens, Charles Summers, William L. Kerry

PXE 646

fonds

approxmately 1830

Graphic Materials, Drawings, Watercolours

52195

1 album (56 drawings, 2 photographs, 1 print) - pencil, watercolour, albumen, gelatine chloride, lithograph - 35.5 x 47.5 cm (album)

f.1 Exmouth, August 30 1828
f.2 Lympstone Church 1830 (see PX34 f.14 Lympstone Church 27/28 March)
f.3 Topsharn Bridge, May 1830
f.4 Near Top Sharn, May 1830
f.5 Bridge at Dowlish, 7 May 1830
f.6 Carn Quary, 14 July 1830
f.7 Dewerstone Rock, 15 July 1830 (see PX35. f.8: The Dewerstone Rock 13 July 1830; f.9: The Dewerstone Rock. On the cad, 15 July 1830: PX 10 f.5: The Dewerstone Rock, July 15 1830)
f.7a Geometric drawing
f.8 Ancient Belfrey of Bucland Abbey, 17 July 1830 (see PX35 f.15 Party of Buckland Abbey, 19 July 1830)
f.9 Buckland Abbey, 20 July 1830
f.10 Brentor, 22 July 1830
f.11 Near Lydford, 22 July 1830
f.12 Fall anear Lydford, 22 July 1830 (paper similar to PX10)
f.13 Lydford Castle, 22 July 1830
f.14 Whitman's Wood, 23 July 1830
f.15 The Vixen Torr near Morrivlle Bridge, 25 July 1830
f.16 From the Vixen, 25 July (probably 1830)
f.17 The Vixen, 25 July 1830
f.18 On the road near Two bridges, 25 July (probably 1830)
f.19 Dartmoor Prison, 25 July 1830
f.20 Dartmoor Down, Pewtor Torr, 25 July (probably 1830)
f.21 View near Exmouth, Devon, 22 August 1831
f.22 At Chudleigh, 23 August 1830
f.23 Exmouth, Devon 1
f.24 Exmouth, Devon 2
f.25 Exmouth, Devon 3
f.26 Exmouth, Devon 4
f.27 Exmouth, Devon
f.27a House in Landscape
f.28 Nutwell Court, Lympstone, Devon (see PX35 f.3 Nutwell Court, Res. of Sir Trayton drake Bart. 8 September 1829)
f.29 Jacobson, Plymouth (Classical landscape)
f.30 Classical temple
f.31 River scene 1, Devon
f.32 River scene 2, Devon
f.33 Forest, Devon
f.34 Bridge and cottage, Devon
f.35 View in Dartmoor, Devon
f.36 Water scene
f.37 Pond and wooden bridge in landscape
f.37b Ruined church in landscape
f.38 Inscribe on mount: In Dushire
f.39 Mill at Withycombe/Devon

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Contents list is located at: PXn 843.

f.15, f.20, f.21, f.23-f.26, f.27a, f.30, f.31-f.37 and f.37b: Title devised by cataloguer.

f.1 to f.49 attributed to Martens after comparison with DL PX 10 and DL PX 35 Dixson Library
Many of Conrad Martens drawings in PXE 646 were made on the same tour of the Dartmoor region in 1830 as drawings in PX 10 and PX 35 Dixson Library
PXE 646 f.53, an albumen photograph of a terra-cotta figurine of two Aboriginals, is taken from Charles Summers proposed design for a Burke and Wills monument cf. Christine Downer, "Charles Summers and the Australian Aborigines", Art and Australia, Summer 1987 p.206 & 207 (Q709.901/B Mitchell Library)
f.50: artist unidentified; f.51: W.L. Kerry (artist)
Notes from PXn 843 of relevance:

"PXE 646 Conrad Martens [English watercolour and drawings ca. 1830]

The provenance of this collection is unknown. It was transferred from Mitchell Library Printed Books P741/D in November 1992.

After comparisons with other drawings by Martens in other Library collections it is possible to attribute f.1-49 to Martens. Many of these drawings are dated, although only one is signed.

The majority of Marten's drawings relate to the period in which he lived in Devon. The earliest is dated 30 August 1828, but most were made during a tour Martens took of the Dartmoor region in July 1830. Many of the drawings were made on the same or consecutive days to those in the DL PX 10 & DL PX 35. PXE 646 is attributed to Martens after comparisions with handwriting and technique in other known collections of his work.

It would appear that on his 1830 tour Martens took a number of different sketchbooks. As can be seen in the drawings in this collection and in DL PX 35 Martens principally used pencil sketches to record topographical details. At the same time he composed more atmospheric sketches in watercolours. DL PX 10, a small blue paged sketchbook contains many similar watercolours made on the same tour. In these drawings Martens reveals his particular interest in the effect of atmosphere on the landscape.

The watercolour drawings in PXE 646 have been for the most part window mounted with a one ply board. This has obscured Martens original inscriptions, which means that it is often difficult to date these works.

DL PX 34 is bound in an album with a "Kern and Mader Hunter Street" label fixed to the cover. This would date the album itself between 1847 (Low's City of Sydney Diretory 1847 FM4/2376 MITCHELL LIBRARY) to 1855 (by Waugh & Cox's Sydney Directory 1855 FM$/2376 Kern and Mader had dissolved their partnership). It is possible that Martens himself had the drawings bound.

Both DL PX 11 and PXE 646 contain drawings inscribe "Jacabson Plymouth". The significance of this has not been established: possibly he was an owner of paintings Martens copied. PXE 646 f.29 is a pencil sketch copy of a classical landscape which is inscribed on verso "Jacabson Plymouth". DL PX 11 also contains copies of works by Gilpin, Calco and possibly by Girtin. DL PX 34 f.17, The Castle, Pessyla Tour, France is signed by H. Martens, who is possibly Henry Martens, Conrad's brother.

PXE 646 f.53, an albumen photograph of a terracotta marquette of two aboriginals, is taken from Charles Summers proposed design for a Burke and Wills monument cf. Charles Summers and the Australian Aborigines", Art and Australia Summer 1987 p. 206 & 207 Q709.901/B MITCHELL LIBRARY.

Many drawings can be identified and dated by inscriptions on them.