{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1160871"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1160871/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FH0011/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FH0011/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2012FH0011","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP9627","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1160871/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1160871","accessionNumber":"P.3-1941","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"The North East Prospect of the Country up Thurston Water from Peelnears","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Watercolour of the North East prospect of the country up Thurston Water from Peelnears, with fourteen numbered points of interest dotted across the valley.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Penn, Stephen","id":"A34891"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour (paint)","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour painting (technique)","id":"THES250889"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Topographical watercolours","id":"THES276285"},{"text":"Watercolours","id":"THES277714"},{"text":"Landscapes","id":"THES250800"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2012FH0011","2023NP9627"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"WD","shelf":"178","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour (painting)","id":"AAT78925"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Coniston Water","id":"x43462"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1733","earliest":"1733-01-01","latest":"1733-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"32.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"48.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'The N. East Prospect of the Country up Thurston Water/ from Peelnears. P Stephen Penn 1733.'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed within a scroll running along the top of the picture."},{"content":"REFERENCES\r\n1. Peelnears\r\n2. Brookborough Hill\r\n3. Townyate Park\r\n4.Waterfoot\r\n5. Loweck Becon\r\n6. Burner Hill\r\n7.Blayberryhorse Hill","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed top left [numbers correspond to points on the image]"},{"content":"REFERENCES\r\n8. Slate stone Fell\r\n9. Becon Hill\r\n10. Blay-brow\r\n11. Brown hoe\r\n12. Throng-craig.\r\n13. Throng craig wood\r\n14. Burknott hill.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed top right. [numbers correspond to points on the image]"}],"objectHistory":"One of a group of four works described by Iolo Williams in <u>Early English Watercolours</u>, (Kingsmead, 1952), p.19; \"...a group of four large watercolours [sold Colnaghi's, 1941] three of which depicted Lake District scenes, done in the thirties of the eighteenth century.\" (See 'References' for full citation from Williams).\r\n\r\nAll that is known about Stephen Penn is what can be gleaned from 4 signed and dated watercolours that were sold at Colnaghis in 1941. All four works are prospects or views described as follows: \r\n\r\n<i>The N. East Prospect of the Country up Thurston Water from Peelnears</i> (V&amp;A inventory number P.3-1941, purchased from Colnaghi and Co. Ltd, 1941)\r\n\r\n<i>The S. West Prospect of the Country from Peelnears</i> (acquired by Iolo Williams from Colnaghi and Co. Ltd. in 1941 , illustrated pl.30 in Iolo Williams in Early English Watercolours, (Kingsmead, 1952).  Current location unknown n)\r\n\r\n<i>South West Prospect of Thurston Water, Lancashire</i> (<i>South West Prospect of Coniston Lake, Lancashire</i>, Whitworth Gallery, Manchester, inventory number D.1941.9)\r\n\r\n<i>A Prospect of the Ruins of the Castle of the Pile of Fouldry and the adjacent Islands taken from Ramside</i> (location unknown)\r\n\r\n\r\nAll these views are of locations in northern England and therefore it can be pressumed that Stephen Penn was working in this area during the first half of the eighteenth century. In his &lt;u&gt;Early English Watercolours&lt;/u&gt; (1952) Iolo Williams writes that the style of these watercolours suggests that Penn was an amateur artist, using the medium to record particular places. \r\n\r\nThe title, inscribed at the centre top of the sheet, identitfies the view as the north east prospect of Thurston Water from Peelnears. Thurston Water, now known as Coniston Water, is the third largest lake in the Lake District, in Cumbria. The name Thurston Water, which was used until the late eighteenth century, is derived from the Old Norse personal name ‘Thurstein’ and the old English ‘waeter’.\r\n\r\nThe birdseye viewpoint of this composition allows the artist to convey the maximum information of this particular scene. The prospect has been carefully drawn in pen and ink, tinted with thin layers of wash in greens, greys and blues. It is shown bathed in clear daylight. The composition and technique follow the contemporary concerns of topographers to delineate and record the features of a particular locality. This genre and style had been introduced during the previous century by Duth and Flemish artists working in England. The view is populated by figures in three boats who are shown rowing, sailing and fishing. The proportions of the figues does not match that of the boats, strengthening Iolo Williams’ argument that this is the work of an amateur artist. As with contemporary topographical views the figures here are used to populate the view, drawing our attention to particular points within it.\r\n\r\nUnusually for topographical prospects of the period Stephen Penn has numbered fourteen points within the view and provided a key to these places of interest at the top of the sheet. There are earlier examples of artists annotating views and providing keys, particularly for prints or designs for prints (for example see Anton van den Wyngaerde’s view of Granada, which was produced in the seveneteenth century for an unrealised series of etched views of Spain, V&amp;A inventory number 8455.3). However, with the possible exception of Francis Placeb (1647-1728), this was not common practice of topographers working in Britain in the opening decades of the eighteenth century. The fact that Penn has chosen to annotate this view suggests that he was aware of topographical views, most likely prints, produced on the continent. \r\n\n\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Watercolour by Stephen Penn entitled 'The North East Prospect of the Country up Thurston Water from Peelnears'.  Great Britain, 1733.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Iolo Williams, <u>Early English Watercolours</u>, (Kingsmead, 1952), p.19. Full Citation:"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Peter Bicknell, <u>British Hills and Mountains</u>, (Collins, 1947), p.32. \r\n\r\nBicknell notes that Penn carefully delineates, colours, numbers and names the landscape in his 4 views of the Lake District. He goes on to state that these are 'a piece of pictorial cartography rather than a picture'. "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1941</u>, London: HMSO, 1954."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Thurston","id":"x43462"},{"text":"Lake District","id":"x35878"}],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Cumbria","id":"x29459"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"topography","id":"AAT256273"},{"text":"views","id":"AAT15424"},{"text":"rural scenes","id":"x46958"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["P.3-1941"],"accessionNumberNum":"3","accessionNumberPrefix":"P","accessionYear":1941,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2010-07-14","availableToBook":false}}