Tintagel Castle, Cornwall
Artist
William Trost Richards
(American, 1833-1905)
CultureAmerican
Dateca. 1890s
MediumGouache and watercolor on wove paper
DimensionsOverall: 4 9/16 x 6 3/4 in. (11.6 x 17.1 cm)
InscribedVerso label: "Tintagel Castle" W.T.R.
Credit LineGift of Edith Ballinger Price
Object number94.24.27
Not on view
DescriptionThis is an unfinished drawing of a rocky, steep seacoast. Cliffs are at the left, and the sea on the right.Label TextTintagel Castle, Cornwall, ca. 1890s Gouache and watercolor on wove paper Richards and many other travelers admired the dramatic landscape around the ruins of Tintagel Castle in southwest England, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. The artist wrote to a friend after one visit: The breakers were rushing through the caves with a sound more melancholy than anything I ever heard, making a great wind as they passed…. Outside were the fierce contortions of the slate rock…. We climbed a zig zag path on the steep rock, hoping to get inside of the castle walls…. [T]he whirling of the sea far down and the blowing of the wind up there made us giddy and we were glad to get down safely…. I wish I could in any way give the impression of size and height, and the added power of the sea. Gift of Edith Ballinger Price 94.24.27 Exhibition History“Seascapes by William Trost Richards,” Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, January 9 - May 1, 2016.
