Old Master & British Drawings Sale

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Lot 203
  • 203

Samuel Buck

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
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Description

  • Samuel Buck
  • The North Prospect of Gravesend in the County of Kent

  • The first pen and black and brown ink with grey wash over pencil, on laid paper, squared for transfer; unframed;
    the second engraved in black ink, unframed;
    the first inscribed in pen and brown ink, upper centre, as titled;
    the second inscribed in printed black ink, upper centre, as titled; further inscribed in printed black ink, lower centre, with extensive description

together with Samuel Buck (Richmond, Yorkshire 1696-1779 London) and Nathaniel Buck (fl.1724–1759) The North Prospect of Gravesend in the County of Kent 

Provenance

Sir Bruce Stirling Ingram (1877-1963) (L.1405a)
his sale, London, Sotheby's, 21 October 1964, lot 10, to Walter Brandt  

Exhibited

The first Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, Exhibition of English Drawings and Water-colours from a Private Collection, 1971, no. 11

Condition

The medium has remained strong and fresh in this work. There is some minor surface dirt to the sheet. Throughout the work there are some small areas of restoration, these have discoloured with time. At the extreme edges of the sheet there are several repaired tears, the largest of which measures circa 75 mm. The sheet appears to have been folded and as a result there are two creases visible. This work has not been laid down.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Although Samuel Buck and his brother Nathaniel originated from Richmond in Yorkshire, by 1720 they had moved to London. Specializing in topographical draughtsmanship, between 1727 and 1740 the brothers embarked on an ambitious project entitled One-Hundred Cites and Chief Towns in England and Wales. The present drawing formed part of this series and was engraved in 1739.

Gravesend lies seven miles to the north-west of Rochester, on the south bank of the River Thames. By the early 18th Century it had become a thriving commercial town, with important communication links with London and the south-east. Drawings of the quality and scale of the present work rarely appear on the open market. Here, Buck not only records fashionably dressed figures relaxing on the river bank, but perhaps most importantly he provides us with an invaluable record of Gravesend's appearance before the industrial revolution.