John Varley, 1778-1842

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Description

John Varley
conway castle
signed and dated 1813.
watercolour over pencil
26x59.5cm.; 10¼x23½in.

Literature

Adrian Bury, John Varley of the Old Society, Leigh-on-Sea, 1946, plate 42

Catalogue Note

John Varley first visited Wales with his friend and fellow artist, George Arnald, in 1798. He revisited Wales in 1802 with his brother Cornelius and the architect Thomas Webster. These trips provided the subject matter and inspiration that Varley was to draw upon throughout his career.

Varley produced several versions of Conway Castle. It was an important subject matter for him. In other examples the landscape takes a more primary role, whereas the present watercolour focuses on the castle and the figures in the foreground.