Thomas Malton, the Elder
(1726–1801)
A Rotunda in a Colonnaded Courtyard
Watermark: coat of arms with hunting horn and letters GR (close to Heawood 2754)
Pen and black ink, gray-brown wash, touches of white heightening, over traces of graphite; incised with a stylus
9 3/4 x 8 15/16 inches (247 x 225 mm)
Purchased on the E. J. Rousuck Fund
1976.30
Item description:
This pen and ink drawing was the design for the frontispiece of Malton's A Compleat Treatise on Perspective in Theory and Practice of 1776. The drawing has been chalked on the back and gone over with a stylus to transfer the design to an engraving plate; highly finished, it shows the flawless, uniform coverage possible with the early wash technique.