The South-West Prospect of the City of Durham

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

This panorama of Durham, published in the early 18th century by brothers Samuel and Nathaniel Buck, makes the city’s famous cathedral appear like a castle on a hill, surrounded by a moat. The fields around the city are broken by clusters of houses with parish churches. To the left of the composition, two men and two women walk their dogs.

Brothers Samuel and Nathaniel Buck made their names as leading British topographical draughtsmen of the 18th century. Over a period of 34 years, the Bucks produced several hundred drawings and engravings, including 87 engraved prospects of England and Wales. These are now important visual records of the appearance of British urban landscapes prior to the changes that occurred during the Industrial Revolution. In some cases, the places depicted have since disappeared or changed beyond recognition.

Places

England, Durham, County Durham

Subjects

topography, townscape/cityscape, tree, river, hill, man, woman, coat of arms, field, bridge (urban), house, church, cathedral

Materials & Techniques

engraving, coloured engraving

Artist

Samuel and Nathaniel Buck (1696 - 1779)

Title

The South-West Prospect of the City of Durham

Date

published 15 April 1745

Medium

Coloured engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from Parker Gallery, March 1965

GAC number

6939