Oil Painting, 'Conway Castle', attributed to Rev. John Thomson, early 19th century

Trees and foliage, in tones of dark-green and brown, frame the foreground and lead to a castle situated on a promontory in the middleground. Beyond this, in greyish-white tones, a piece of land juts out into an expanse of water.

Bequeathed by W. A. Sandby

Bequeathed by W. A. Sandby, 1904

This painting of Conway Castle shows the influence of the great ‘classical’ landscapist, Claude Lorrain (c.1604-82). In a balanced and harmonious composition typical of Claude, the trees frame the foreground and guide the viewer’s eye to the central vista of the castle and distant hills beyond. This sense of recession is further enhanced by the contrast between the dark trees and foliage in the foreground and the bluish-white haze of the water and sky in the background. Thomson was familiar with Claude through the Liber Veritatis (Book of Truth), a collection of drawings Claude made after his own works, that became widely known through Richard Earlom’s engravings published in 1777.

The painting is signed Paul Sandby in the left corner but was attributed to Reverend J. Thomson in 1931 by Basil Long. It may derive from Thomson’s sketching trip to North Wales in 1828.

Thomson was a successful, Scottish landscapist who was also minister of Duddingston from 1805. He was influenced by the Old Masters, including Claude Lorrain, but also produced works of real originality. 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 Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland (1826).

This painting of Conway Castle shows the influence of the great ‘classical’ landscapist, Claude Lorrain (c.1604-82), especially in its balanced and harmonious composition. It is attributed to the Reverend J. Thomson who was a successful, Scottish landscapist as well as minister of Duddingston from 1805.

As well as painting works influenced by the Old Masters, Thomson produced works of real originality in which the main features of the Scottish landscape and climate were evoked in broad, rapid brushstrokes. 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. (1775-1851), to produce illustrations for Scott’s Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland (1826).

1567-1904