{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O133632"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O133632/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BL4118/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BL4118/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BL4118","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JV3096","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O133632/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O133632","accessionNumber":"P.41-1937","objectType":"Oil painting","titles":[{"title":"Landscape with River, Lake and Mountains","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"In this small sketch on paper, Thomson evokes the bare essentials of the landscape in small, rapid brush strokes. He was known to paint many such sketches from nature, often completing them in a matter of hours, and they have been praised for their originality. Thomson was a successful, Scottish landscapist who was also minister for Duddingston from 1805. He was a close friend of the writer Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), who was an important influence on his work, and collaborated with J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) to produce illustrations for Scott’s <i>Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland</i> (1826).","physicalDescription":"In the foreground, water, narrowing to pass through banks with shrubs and trees to left and right and broadening to a large expanse of lake, beyond which is a twin-peaked mountain.\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Thomson, John (Rev.)","id":"A17989"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oil paint","id":"AAT15050"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"oil painting","id":"AAT178684"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Oil on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Landscapes","id":"THES250800"},{"text":"Topography","id":"THES252988"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2007BL4118","2017JV3096"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"B","id":"THES304893"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"oil paintings","id":"AAT33799"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Scotland","id":"x29130"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"first quarter 19th century","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1825-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"18.4 ","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"\t24.1 ","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Measurement taken at time of assessment prior to BH decant - Frame Dimensions (mm): H-235 W-290 D-37;\nPainting Dimensions (mm): not measured"}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from <i>Summary catalogue of British Paintings</i>, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1973","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"On the back of the work in ink: 'An original study / by the Rev.d John Thomson / of Diddingston [sic] nr. Edinburgh - / Purchased at his sale'.\r\n\r\nOn the back of the mount, ‘This sketch was purchased at the Rev.d Mr. Thomson’s sale / FWR’.\n\n","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"These inscriptions are on the back of the work in ink and on the back of the mount "}],"objectHistory":"Acquisition method unknown; formerly in the Circulating collection","historicalContext":"In this oil sketch on paper, Thomson has evoked the main features of the landscape in broad, rapid brushstrokes. He contrasts the dark foliage of the foreground trees with the bluish-white of the lake and distant mountains and, in doing so, conveys a sense of mood, as well as recession. \r\n\r\nThomson painted many such sketches from nature of his native Scotland and was known to work quickly, often completing a sketch in a matter of hours. He was interested in the power of association with Scotland’s literary and historic past, and his expressive, vigorous style evoked the mood of a landscape as opposed to its topographical features. His small sketches in particular, have been much praised in this regard. \r\n\r\nThomson was a successful, Scottish landscapist who was also minister of Duddingston from 1805. He was influenced by the Old Masters, including Claude Lorrain (c.1604-82), but also produced works of real originality, such as his small oil sketches. He was a close friend of Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), who was another influence on his work, and collaborated with J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) to produce illustrations, which were later engraved, for Scott’s <i>Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland</i> (1826). \r\n","briefDescription":"Rev. John Thomson of Duddingston. 'Landscape with River, Lake and Mountains,' Scottish, early 19th century.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1937</u>, London: Board of Education, 1938."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"lakes","id":"AAT8680"},{"text":"rivers","id":"AAT8707"},{"text":"mountains","id":"AAT8795"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["P.41-1937"],"accessionNumberNum":"41","accessionNumberPrefix":"P","accessionYear":1937,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2007-04-04","availableToBook":true}}