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In Storage

Paul Sandby (1731-1809)

The Eagle Tower, Caernarfon

Paul Sandby began his career as a military mapmaker but came to be hailed as the 'father of English watercolour'. He was one of the first artists to visit Wales and made its mountains and castles essential stopping points for artists' tours to the area. He was also a pioneering printmaker and the aquatint versions of his Welsh paintings brought his work to a wide audience.

The Eagle Tower at Caernarfon appears in several of Sandby's watercolours and prints. This view of the castle across the water disguises its size but brings in the curving river and the mountains of Snowdonia beyond. The activity in the foreground adds human interest to this calm evening scene.

Mediumgouache
Date
Dimensions640mm x 962mm
Acquisition NumberSOTAG : 1407
Credit LinePurchased in 1951 through the Chipperfield Bequest Fund