Redbrook on the River Wye

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

Edward Dayes was born in London and apprenticed to mezzotinter and painter William Pether. He entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1786. During his early career he worked as a miniaturist, later concentrating on the topographical landscapes in watercolour for which he is best-known. Thomas Girtin was a pupil of Dayes’ until an argument between the two seems to have led to Girtin’s imprisonment. Although not a pupil, J. M. W. Turner also studied Dayes’s work and some watercolours by Turner from the 1790s are virtually indistinguishable from those of Dayes. Towards the end of his career, Dayes began working in oils with less success. He was known as a difficult character with a fiery temper and committed suicide in London in 1804.
Aquatint engraver Francis Jukes was born in Martley, Worcestershire. Nothing is known of his parents. He initially worked as a topographical painter, before becoming one of the first British aquatint engravers. He is thought to have learnt the method from Paul Sandby and some of his first aquatints are after Sandby’s designs. Dukes mainly produced prints of landscape or seascape subjects. He illustrated the Rev. William Gilpin’s ‘Observations on the River Wye’ (published 1782). His early prints were published in collaboration with Valentine Green and he later collaborated with Robert Pollard. Illness towards the end of his life may have been caused by fumes from the acid he used in the aquatinting process. He died in 1812, aged about 67.

Places

England, Redbrook, Gloucestershire, River Wye

Subjects

topography, tree, smoke, river bank, river, hill, man, woman, basket, road, house, chimney, coracle, sailboat, fishing net

Materials & Techniques

aquatint, coloured aquatint

Artist

Edward Dayes (1763 - 1804)
Francis Jukes (1745 - 1812)

Title

Redbrook on the River Wye

Date

1 October 1808

Medium

Colour aquatint

Dimensions

height: 37.00 cm, width: 47.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from F R Meatyard, July 1947

GAC number

344