Liber Studiorum: Plate 36, Church near Durham
1838 · softground etching, from a bound volume containing 48 plates · Sheet: 49.5 x 32 cm (19 1/2 x 12 5/8 in.); Platemark: 30.2 x 22.4 cm (11 7/8 x 8 13/16 in.)
Cotman, Liber Studiorum: Plate 36, Church near Durham, 1838. softground etching, from a bound volume containing 48 plates.
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Bequest of John Bonebrake
How to look at a Cotman
- Squint at a Cotman until it becomes a jigsaw of three values. Notice the pieces are large and few.
- Follow the main arch at Rievaulx and find the two springing points. The curve is constructed, not guessed.
- In the Normandy castle in graphite, count the stones actually drawn. Then notice where they are: edges, openings, near the ground.
