Description
An original 1844 watercolour painting, John White Abbott, Horse-Drawn Cart in a Devon Landscape. A fine late work by John White Abbott (1763-1851), drawn by the artist at the age of eighty. Almost all of Abbott's work depicts topographical scenery in his native Exeter region. A practising apothecary & surgeon by profession, in 1825 he inherited Fordland, a Devon estate, from his uncle James White, an Exeter barrister & non-conformist, who was a close friend of Francis Towne. From this time on he lived the life of a country gentleman & devoted himself to drawing. It is very likely that the present work depicts a landscape in the local Exeter area. Ink & brown wash on laid paper with shield & cross watermark. Provenance: Sotheby's sale 21 March 2002. John White Abbott (1763-1851) was born in Exeter, Devon, where he practiced as an apothecary & surgeon. A keen amateur artist, he socialised in the same genteel Exeter circles inhabited by Francis Towne (1739 or 1740-1816), who was a close friend of Abbott's uncle, James White. Abbott took lessons from Towne from a young age & became an important friend & patron of Towne. He closely emulated Towne's style, producing topographical drawings with precise ink outlines & flat & clear washes of colour. The majority of Abbott's subjects were local to his native Devon. in 1791 he made his only extended journey outside the West Country, a sketching tour of Scotland, the Lake District, Lancashire, Derbyshire & Warwickshire, & in 1797 he toured Monmouthshire. Between 1793 & 1812, Abbott exhibited intermittently at the Royal Academy, as an honorary exhibitor, & his oils were more highly praised than those of Towne. But it is said that he never sold a picture, all works remaining in the family & Abbott living the life of a gentleman amateur. Abbott was also a connoisseur of Old Master prints & this study informed the composition & figures that he used in his landscapes. in 1825 Abbott inherited Fordland, a Devon estate, from his uncle James White. From this time on he was able to devote himself solely to drawing. in 1827 he again visited Monmouthshire, & also Gloucestershire & Wiltshire. in 1831 he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Devonshire. His work can be found in numerous public collections, including the British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Fitzwilliam Museum, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, & the National Gallery of Scotland. Some age toning as shown, with staining to the verso from a historic adhesive. There is a small loss to the lower right corner of the paper. Please see photos for detail. John White Abbott, Horse-Drawn Cart in A Devon Landscape-1844 Ink & Wash Drawing
