Bridport Harbour, Dorset

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

This print is taken from landscape painter and engraver William Daniell’s ‘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. All 308 illustrations were engraved by Daniell from his own pencil drawings. From 1813 Daniell travelled clockwise around the coast of Britain, starting and finishing his journey at Land’s End. Accompanying text for the first two volumes was written by playwright and writer Richard Ayton, who travelled with Daniell on the first of his sketching tours. All subsequent text was written by Daniell himself. The text accompanying the view of Bridport Harbour included:

‘BRIDPORT HARBOUR… appeared at the time of this visit to be in a deplorable state, the entrance being nearly choked up with sand.’

Some of the plates were reprinted in the 1850s and, about a century later, from 1948. However, these examples are from an edition 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.

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, sheep, shore, cliff, harbour, house, sailboat

Materials & Techniques

aquatint

Artist

William Daniell (1769 - 1837)

Title

Bridport Harbour, Dorset

Date

1978

Medium

Aquatint

Dimensions

height: 32.00 cm, width: 39.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Editions Alecto, July 1978

Inscription

U/F

GAC number

14177