Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 11

Paul Sandby Munn RWS
Paul Sandby Munn RWS, Mallevy, Merioneth, North Wales, Watercolour

1831

$274.23
£200
€233.26
CA$375.52
A$417.52
CHF 218.01
MX$5,082.26
NOK 2,781.68
SEK 2,606.30
DKK 1,740.83
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

This early 19th-century watercolour by British artist Paul Sandby Munn RWS (1773-1845) depicts a riverside view at Mallevy in North Wales. Amid a hasty world where technology consumes our waking hours, few of us find the time to consider the subtle beauties of quiet watercolours. Yet, during the late 18th century, when Munn began producing his skillfully-rendered views, this style of drawing was considered an act of rebellion. Indeed, to such an extent that, together with several associates, Munn contributed to one of the most vital artistic circles in British history - the “Brothers” sketching club. Held every Saturday, the sketching club sought to raise the status of landscape watercolours from their lowly position as mere copies of nature. Fellow artists such as John Varley, Thomas Girtin and John Sell Cotman, would each take turns as hosts - selecting various prose as inspiration. The hosts would, in turn, retain all of the work produced. Sketching late into the night, it’s plausible that a few drinks were also shared between friends. Several years later, the club evolved into the 'The Society of Painters in Watercolour'. The close bond between these early British pioneers is particularly evident in Munn’s case as he’s known to have paired up with the young landscape painter John Sell Cotman and travelled extensively. Both sketched views simultaneously, which were later sold through a shop in Bond Street. It’s fascinating to consider the discussions between Munn and his companion as they compared their work. Here, in this view of Merioneth, North Wales, Munn appears to be sketching from the river bank. A girl rests while gathering water in a copper pot while a fisherman waits patiently for a catch. An old stone bridge, partially covered by foliage, gives the appearance of an ancient ruin. Perhaps Cotman sat alongside him discussing the changing light before traipsing up the hills for an elevated position. Signed lower right and held within a later frame.
  • Creator:
    Paul Sandby Munn RWS (1773 - 1845, English)
  • Creation Year:
    1831
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 12 in (30.48 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.
  • Gallery Location:
    Cheltenham, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2328211924962

More From This Seller

View All
Amos Green, Near Ingleton, Yorkshire
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This fine early 19th-century watercolour by British artist Amos Green (1735-1807) depicts an asperous gorge near Ingleton in Yorkshire. On either side of a shallow river, trees clin...
Category

Early 1800s English School Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Ink, Paper

Edmond Albert Joseph Tyrel de Poix, Landscape With Watermill, Mother & Child
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This charming 19th-century drawing by British artist Edmond Albert Joseph Tyrel de Poix (1840-1916) depicts a mother and child standing by a mill pond before a rustic watermill. De Poix was a gentleman artist descended from French nobility...
Category

1870s English School Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil, Paper

Edmond Albert Joseph Tyrel de Poix, Landscape With Pub & Signpost
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This charming 19th-century drawing by British artist Edmond Albert Joseph Tyrel de Poix (1840-1916) depicts a timber-framed public house, figures, horses and a leaning signpost. De ...
Category

1870s English School Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil, Paper

Edward William Cooke RA, West-Country Cove With Cottages, Family & Donkeys
By Edward William Cooke
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This idyllic late 19th-century oil painting by English artist Edward William Cooke RA (1811-1880) depicts a west-country cove with two cottages, donkeys, figures, and fishing boats. Cooke was a highly renowned painter of marine scenes and landscapes who exhibited extensively at London’s Royal Academy. From our elevated vantage point, the view extends between two quaint cottages and across the beach before sweeping around the sandy coastline. Crystalline waters lap the shore, where moored craft rest. It’s an accomplished rendering of a challenging composition. It’s enhanced by trees, which essentially ‘frame’ the right side, while a wooded track provides interest on the left. Cooke was a keen admirer of the Dutch old masters, and the spirit of the Golden Age underpins this splendid work. In diaries, he recorded how he travelled by donkey to access elevated spots in the southwest, so it’s conceivable that he did so here. In his catalogue raisonné, it lists a work from the same year titled ‘Bay with Donkeys’. Born in Pentonville, London, Cooke was raised in the company of accomplished artists as both his father, George Cooke (1781-1834), and his uncle, William Bernard Cooke (1778-1855), were engravers. As such, they were associated with a circle of Victorian painters who aided Cooke’s early development. These included the highly regarded marine painter Clarkson Frederick Stanfield RA RBA (1793-1867), who provided frequent advice and inspiration. Indeed, as a teenager, Cooke produced numerous drawings after Stanfield’s works. A precocious talent, by the age of nine, he was already displaying an advanced understanding of engraving, particularly for ships, coupled with a natural, seemingly in-built skill as a draughtsman. Many of his early drawings depict pastoral landscapes after the masters, such as Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), Paulus Potter (1625-1654), and Karel Dujardin (1626-1678). In an extraordinary turn of events, in 1820, his advanced abilities led to his first commission when he provided botanical illustrations for John Loudon's 'Encyclopaedia of Plants’. These were followed by drawings published in the 'Botanical Cabinet...
Category

1870s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

William Traies (Attributed), Wooded River Landscape With Cascade & Figures
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This charming mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to English artist William Traies (1789-1872) depicts a picturesque river view with cascade, figures and cattle. Traies was an a...
Category

1840s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Thomas Sidney Cooper RA, Cow & Sheep In A Landscape
By Thomas Sidney Cooper
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This charming mid-19th-century watercolour by British artist Thomas Sidney Cooper RA (1803-1902) depicts two sheep and a cow in a landscape. Cooper was a distinguished British painte...
Category

1850s English School Animal Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

You May Also Like

Attrib. Francis Nicholson RWS (1753-1844) - Watercolour, Nidd, Yorkshire
Located in Corsham, GB
A watercolour scene in the village of Nidd in North Yorkshire. Presented glazed in a wash line mount and a distressed gilt-effect wooden frame. Unsigned. On watercolour paper.
Category

19th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

David Cox Jnr. ARWS (1809-1885) - Framed Watercolour, Duncraggan
By David Cox
Located in Corsham, GB
David Cox Jnr. ARWS (1809-1885)- original watercolour. Mountain landscape with cottages. Signed and inscribed to the lower right. Presented in a glazed oak frame. Labelled to the rev...
Category

Late 19th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Attrib. David Cox Jr ARWS - Framed Late 19th Century Watercolour, Dolwyddelan
By David Cox the Younger
Located in Corsham, GB
An accomplished landscape in watercolours, attributed to listed British artist David Cox Junior ARWS (1809-1885). Here Cox depicts a view of Dolwyddelan in the valley of the Afon Lle...
Category

Late 19th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

William Payne (1760-1830) - 1798 Watercolour, Village By The River
By William Payne
Located in Corsham, GB
Signed to the lower left. Presented in a gilt frame with foliate detailing. On paper.
Category

Early 18th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

H. E. Carrington - Signed & Framed Late 19th Century Watercolour, Country Bridge
Located in Corsham, GB
With masterful composure, H. Carrington renders a charismatic study of a country bridge with expert understanding of light and shadow. The artwork has b...
Category

19th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Mid 20th Century Watercolour - Ruthin Landscape, Wales
Located in Corsham, GB
A wonderful view of the Welsh countryside depicting a man and his dog walking down a country path. The artist has inscribed the location 'Ruthin' to the lower left corner. Well prese...
Category

20th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor