A Ford on the Tweed at Coldstream
Drawing
22nd July 1894 (drawn)
22nd July 1894 (drawn)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three Original Peter Rabbit Books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale.
Before her marriage in 1913, Beatrix Potter accompanied her family to Scotland, Wales or the Lake District for extended summer holidays and she often took the opportunity to sketch the places she visited. This study is dated 22nd July 1894, when Potter was staying at Lennel, Coldstream. She wrote in her journal entry for that day:
"Very hot. Sat on a wall all afternoon and sketched the river. I think it is a very beautiful stream and grows upon one. There is no impressive volume of water like the Tay, but it winds about in a sweet fashion, setting the meadows now on the north, now on the south and reflecting cliffs and trees in the deeper riches. All along the field edges there are strips of pebbles, many coloured, and a shelf of sandbank under the turf where sandmartins burrow. There are stockades of planks here and there, and the tangled grass in the trees shows what the flood can do in its time. At present it is very low, a mere ripple of water over the Ford below Lennel village. The Scotch raiders are said to have crossed that point to drive the English cattle, it is almost too peaceful now to accord with salmon nets."
Before her marriage in 1913, Beatrix Potter accompanied her family to Scotland, Wales or the Lake District for extended summer holidays and she often took the opportunity to sketch the places she visited. This study is dated 22nd July 1894, when Potter was staying at Lennel, Coldstream. She wrote in her journal entry for that day:
"Very hot. Sat on a wall all afternoon and sketched the river. I think it is a very beautiful stream and grows upon one. There is no impressive volume of water like the Tay, but it winds about in a sweet fashion, setting the meadows now on the north, now on the south and reflecting cliffs and trees in the deeper riches. All along the field edges there are strips of pebbles, many coloured, and a shelf of sandbank under the turf where sandmartins burrow. There are stockades of planks here and there, and the tangled grass in the trees shows what the flood can do in its time. At present it is very low, a mere ripple of water over the Ford below Lennel village. The Scotch raiders are said to have crossed that point to drive the English cattle, it is almost too peaceful now to accord with salmon nets."
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | A Ford on the Tweed at Coldstream (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | Brown wash over pencil on paper |
Brief description | Wash over pencil drawing; a ford on the Tweed at Coldstream; drawn by Beatrix Potter, 22nd July 1894; Linder Bequest cat. no. LB.567 |
Physical description | An unpright format composition showing a riverbank, with a field in the foreground, a prominant tree in the centre left and distant hills. |
Dimensions |
|
Production type | Unique |
Marks and inscriptions |
|
Credit line | Linder Bequest [plus object number; written on labels on the same line as the object number] |
Object history | Drawn by Beatrix Potter at Coldstream, 22nd July 1894. Acquired by the V&A from Leslie Linder (1904-1973) in 1973 as part of the Linder Bequest, a collection of ca. 2150 watercolours, drawings, literary manuscripts, correspondence, books, photographs, and other memorabilia associated with Beatrix Potter and her family. |
Subjects depicted | |
Place depicted | |
Summary | Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three Original Peter Rabbit Books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale. Before her marriage in 1913, Beatrix Potter accompanied her family to Scotland, Wales or the Lake District for extended summer holidays and she often took the opportunity to sketch the places she visited. This study is dated 22nd July 1894, when Potter was staying at Lennel, Coldstream. She wrote in her journal entry for that day: "Very hot. Sat on a wall all afternoon and sketched the river. I think it is a very beautiful stream and grows upon one. There is no impressive volume of water like the Tay, but it winds about in a sweet fashion, setting the meadows now on the north, now on the south and reflecting cliffs and trees in the deeper riches. All along the field edges there are strips of pebbles, many coloured, and a shelf of sandbank under the turf where sandmartins burrow. There are stockades of planks here and there, and the tangled grass in the trees shows what the flood can do in its time. At present it is very low, a mere ripple of water over the Ford below Lennel village. The Scotch raiders are said to have crossed that point to drive the English cattle, it is almost too peaceful now to accord with salmon nets." |
Bibliographic reference | Hobbs, Anne Stevenson, and Joyce Irene Whalley, eds. Beatrix Potter: the V & A collection : the Leslie Linder bequest of Beatrix Potter material : watercolours, drawings, manuscripts, books, photographs and memorabilia. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1985.
p.61; no.567
Hobbs, Anne Stevenson, and Joyce Irene Whalley, eds. Beatrix Potter: the V & A collection: the Leslie Linder bequest of Beatrix Potter material: watercolours, drawings, manuscripts, books, photographs and memorabilia. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1985. p.61; no.567 |
Other number | LB.567 - Linder Bequest catalogue no. |
Collection | |
Library number | BP.312 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | August 5, 2015 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSON