Rye, Sussex

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

This print shows the town of Rye in Sussex from a high point nearby. The view was sketched and aquatinted by landscape painter and engraver William Daniell for ‘A Voyage Round Great Britain, undertaken in the summer of the year 1813 and commencing from the Land’s-End, Cornwall’, published between 1814 and 1825.

‘A Voyage Round Great Britain’ became Daniell’s best-known publication. All 308 illustrations were engraved by Daniell from his own pencil drawings, made on site. From 1813 Daniell travelled clockwise around the coast of Britain, starting and finishing his journey at Land’s End. The text accompanying the view of ‘Rye, Sussex’ includes the following:

‘The low buildings, seen to the left of the view, are the hot and cold baths, erected since Rye grew into notice as a watering place…’

This work is from a fourth edition of ‘A Voyage…’, printed in 1978 from the 306 original plates which survive. Just 90 sets of the prints were published by Tate Gallery Publications in association with Editions Alecto. They were left uncoloured, so that the delicate tones of Daniell's skilful aquatinting could be fully appreciated.

William Daniell was a much travelled landscape painter. In 1784 he went to India with his uncle, the artist Thomas Daniell, where he assisted Thomas with his drawing and sketching. By the time they returned to England in 1794, William was not only a proficient draughtsman but had also perfected the art of aquatinting. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1807 and a Royal Academician in 1822. He refused the post of draughtsman to an Australian expedition to instead make numerous sketching tours throughout England and Scotland. Daniell is regarded as a superb aquatinter and his best works are thought to be among his Scottish views for ‘Voyage Round Great Britain’. He died in London in 1837.

Places

Subjects

topography, seascape/coastal scene, townscape/cityscape, hill, sea, house, ship

Materials & Techniques

aquatint

Artist

William Daniell (1769 - 1837)

Title

Rye, Sussex

Date

1978

Medium

Aquatint

Dimensions

height: 32.00 cm, width: 39.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Editions Alecto, July 1978

GAC number

14148