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Fonthill Abbey

Watercolour Drawing
c. 1830 (made)
Artist/Maker
Wild, Charles
Place of origin
England (made)

Drawing of the exterior of Fonthill Abbey

Object details

Categories
Drawings
Topography
Designs
Object type
Watercolour drawing
TitleFonthill Abbey (generic title)
Materials and techniques
watercolour drawing
Pencil
Paper (Fiber Product)
Drawing
Brief description
Charles Wild. The exterior of Fonthill Abbey, the seat of William Beckford. Great Britain, c. 1830.
Physical description
Drawing of the exterior of Fonthill Abbey
Dimensions
  • Height: 19cm
  • Width: 13.4cm
Dimensions taken from departmental notes
Gallery label
Charles Wild (1781–1835)
Fonthill Abbey
About 1815

Fonthill Abbey was built in 1795 by the architect James Wyatt for the eccentric art collector William Beckford. It is the physical embodiment of Beckford’s collecting aspirations and a grandiose example of Gothic Revival architecture. The imposing central tower was 84-metres high. It collapsed several times before foundering one last time in 1825. [53 words]

Watercolour
Museum no. 2952-1876
Credit line
William Smith Bequest
Object history
Bequeathed by William Smith, 1876
Bibliographic references
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1919, London: Printed Under the Authority of His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1921
  • Owens, Susan, The Art of Drawing British Masters And Methods Since 1600, V&A Publishing, London, 2013, p. 135, fig. 108
  • Cristina Acidini Luchinat (Editor) Gianfranco Brunelli (Editor) Francesco Parisi (Editor) Elizabeth Prettejohn (Editor) Peter Trippi (Editor) Musei San Domenico (Forlì, Italy) (Host institution) Preraffaelliti : rinascimento moderno Milano: Dario Cimorelli editore, 2024
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
2952-1876

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Record createdOctober 13, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1138063/fonthill-abbey-watercolour-drawing-wild-charles/
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