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William Matthison (1853-1926)
New College, Oxford: Front Quad
Watercolour 35 x 52 cm Signed lower right. A charming watercolour of New College's Front Quad complete with members of the college in academic dress, wandering birds, and a gardener mowing the grass. William of Wykeham, who founded New College in 1379, was an ambitious builder. His vision for the college was of a Chapel, Hall, Library, and rooms for tutors and students to work and live in, all of which would be built around a quadrangle. This was the first time a college had been set in this way, and it became a model for colleges worldwide. Matthison was born near Birmingham and attended King Edward’s School in the city. He learnt drawing at the Birmingham Central School of Art and then became a pupil of Birmingham artist Edward Watson. He became a professional artist in 1875 and moved to Oxfordshire a few years after; this was where he had the opportunity to produce many of the Oxford views for which he is known today. In 1902 he moved to Park Town in Oxford and was commissioned by Robert Peel to paint more than seventy views of the University of Oxford, which were subsequently made into postcards. Priced at seven for a shilling, they were only available from E Cross of Pembroke Street (a long-since closed business). Raphael Tuck & Sons also commissioned him to produce postcard scenes of Cambridge. Matthison’s views of Oxford were later printed in Fifty Watercolour Drawings of Oxford, published in 1912 by Alden & Co. Condition: generally very good; a few spots to sky. If you are interested, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for other views of New College, Oxford. -
Valerie Thornton (1931-1991)
Bodleian Quadrangle, Oxford (1983)
Etching 24 x 35 cm Numbered 13/75 lower left, titled below, and signed and dated lower right, all in pencil. A very good example of Thornton's recognisable and unusual etching style. Her work is deeply concerned with material, and many of her etchings focus on eroded stone, emotive landscapes, and weathered architecture. Here, Thornton draws out the exceptional texture of the Bodleian Library's local stone. Valerie Thornton was a British etcher and printmaker. She was born in London, but was evacuated to Canada with her two brothers during World War II. She returned to London in 1944 and studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art in 1949. From 1950 to 1953 Thornton studied under P.F. Millard at the Regent Street Polytechnic, then spent eight months at Atelier 17 in Paris. In the early 1960s, she moved to New York and worked at Pratt Graphic Art Centre. In 1955, she succeeded Howard Hodgkin as assistant art teacher at Charterhouse School and in 1965 she became a founding member of the Print Makers Council. In 1970 she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painters-Etchers and Engravers. Thornton was a member of The Regent Street Group (a group of nine artists who studied together at the Regent Street Polytechnic in the early 1950s). The group also included Susan Horsfield, Renate Meyer, Michael Lewis, Ken Symonds, Philip Le Bas, and Peter Riches. Thornton's work is included in a number of major public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, and the Tate. Thornton died in 1991 in Chelsworth, Suffolk. Condition: generally very good. If you are interested, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for more works by Valerie Thornton. -
Hugh Casson (1910 - 1999)
Trinity College, Oxford (1990)
Watercolour 20 x 33 cm (38 x 50 cm framed) Casson's marvellous watercolour of Trinity and its perfectly manicured lawns, adorned with strolling undergraduates. Sir Hugh Casson was educated at Eastbourne College; St John’s College, Cambridge; and the Bartlett School of Architecture. Trained in the 1930s in the early modernist style, he taught at the Cambridge School of Architecture. After employment as a camoufleur during World War 2 by the Air Ministry, in 1948 he was appointed as director of architecture for the Festival of Britain. A close friend of the Royal Family, he undertook designs for the 1953 coronation, designed the interior of the Royal Yacht Britannia (“The overall idea was to give the impression of a country house at sea”), and taught the young Charles III to paint in watercolours. Amongst his architectural achievements are the Elephant House at London Zoo, the 1978 redevelopment of Bristol Docks, the Raised Staff Building for The University of Cambridge, and a building for the Royal College of Art. He published a number of illustrated books, of which Casson’s Oxford and Casson’s Cambridge are probably the best known. A limited edition series of prints was produced from the paintings. Condition: excellent. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for other views of Trinity College, Oxford. -
George Pyne (1800 - 1884) The High, Oxford
Watercolour 15 x 21 cm Signed and dated indiscriminately lower left. A 19th-century view of the High Street, Oxford. The spire of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin towers over the street; a horse and cart and brightly-dressed pedestrians pass by. George Pyne was related to two founders of the Society of Painters in Watercolours – William Henry Pyne was his father, and John Varley his father-in-law. Pyne trained as an architectural draughtsman and lived in Oxford from the 1850s until his death in 1884, specialising in views of the city and its colleges. His Oxford pictures are both architecturally-minded and romantically creative, often combining intensely detailed depictions of college buildings with imagined pedestrian scenes. Pyne was also noted for his views of Cambridge and Eton, and for his drawing manuals ‘A Rudimentary and Practical Treatise on Perspective for Beginners’ (1848) and ‘Practical Rules on Drawing for the Operative Builder, and Young Student in Architecture’ (1854); the latter texts offer an insight into his method of depicting architecture and its surroundings. Condition: generally good; some spotting and toning to sky. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Bernard Cecil Gotch (1876-1964)
Queen's College, Oxford
Watercolour 28 x 39 cm (51 x 64 cm framed) Signed lower right. Queen's College in all its leafy glory. The dreaming spires of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, the Radcliffe Camera, and All Souls peep over the quad. Bernard Cecil Gotch was a Winchester-born artist who is best known for his atmospheric watercolours of Britain's towns and cities (most notably Oxford). He moved to Oxford in 1927, painting many watercolours of the interiors and exteriors of Oxford’s many buildings. His works concentrate on the grand exteriors and interiors of the University's colleges, and he exhibited frequently - including an exhibition every term at Oriel College. His first notable commission was for the publisher Methuen, illustrating 'A Shepherd’s Life' by W H Hudson. Whilst in London he was invited to illustrate a book on the Public Schools of England (which was sadly never completed). He exhibited watercolours at the Fine Art Society and Lincolns Inn, and also exhibited at the Royal Academy. In 1952 Gotch was given an Honorary MA by the University of Oxford, and, after his death in 1963, a memorial was held for him at Oriel. Condition: very good; original frame & mount (some ageing to the latter). If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for other views of Queen's College, Oxford. -
Emery Walker (1851 - 1933) after Edmund Hort New (1871 - 1931)
Wadham College, Oxford
Photogravure 27 x 41 cm New produced a series of pen-and-ink drawings of Oxford colleges, of which this is one. They paid homage to the artist David Loggan, often using the same aerial viewpoint as him, but showing the colleges two hundred years later. Emery Walker turned New's drawings into photoengravings in the early 20th century. Probably no more than two hundred prints of each engraving were produced, and the plates were destroyed in the blitz. Edmund Hort New was an English artist. He was a member of the Birmingham Group of Arts and Crafts-associated painters and craftsmen, and is known as a leading illustrator of his period. He specialised in pen and ink drawings of rural and urban landscapes, old buildings and their interiors, architectural features, and also designed bookplates. He provided illustrations for the English Illustrated Magazine and was commissioned by Bodley Head publishers to illustrate critically acclaimed editions of books, such as Walton's The Compleat Angler. In 1895, New met William Morris and began designing for the Kelmscott Press. He also taught drawing to T E Lawrence. In 1905, he began his drawings of the Oxford colleges, and spent the rest of his life working on the (sadly unfinished) project. In 1921 he exhibited at the first exhibition of the Society of Graphic Art. Sir Emery Walker FSA was an English engraver, photographer, and printer. He was very involved with the Arts and Crafts movement, a Master of the Art Workers' Guild, President of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, a Trustee of the Wallace Collection, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He was also a close friend of William Morris. Walker's expertise and his collection of 16th-century typefaces inspired Morris to create the Kelmscott Press. In 1910, Walker photographed the notable Rice portrait of Jane Austen. He was knighted in 1930. Condition: very good; modern printing. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for other views of Wadham. -
John Doyle (born 1928)
Trinity College, Oxford
Watercolour 24 x 46 cm Signed lower left. Doyle's striking portrayal of Trinity's architecture, complete with undergraduates variously strolling, sitting, and reading in the foreground. Afternoon sun slants over the immaculately mown lawns. John Doyle was born in London and works in watercolours, pastels, and oils. He studied at the Maidstone School of Art in his 30s, later showing at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Much of his work focuses on landscape and architecture; he has produced a series of views of Oxford and its colleges. Condition: excellent. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for more views of Trinity College, Oxford. -
Oriel College, Oxford (1736)
Engraving 35 x 43 cm This fantasia on Oriel, featuring a sublime rendering of the College's architecture and a parade of sound Oriel men, was featured in the 1736 edition of the Oxford Almanack. The Oxford Almanack was an annual almanack published by the Oxford University Press for the University of Oxford from 1674 through 2019 (when printing sadly ceased due to "dwindling interest"). The almanack traditionally included engravings or lithographs of the University and information about the upcoming year. Other almanack artists have included Michael Burghers, J. M. W. Turner, and John Piper. Basire and Dayes collaborated on several views of Oxford during the courses of their careers. Floreat Oriel! Condition: good. Trimmed. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for more views of Oriel. -
William Williams (Welsh, active 1724 - 1733)
Jesus College, Oxford (circa 1732)
Engraving 43 x 44 cm This engraving of the city of Oxford, adorned with its eponymous dreaming spires, comes from the 'Oxonia Depicta', a large folio of engraved plates illustrating Oxford's halls and colleges. Condition: previously folded; some losses to folds, some toning. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
David Loggan (1634 - 1692)
University College, Oxford (1675)
Engraving 29 x 40 cm Loggan's view of Univ from the 'Oxonia Illustrata'. Loggan was born to English and Scottish parents, and was baptised in Danzig in 1634. After studying engraving in Danzig with Willem Hondius (1598-1652 or 1658), he moved to London in the late 1650s, going on to produce the engraved title-page for the folio 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He married in 1663 and moved to Nuffield in Oxfordshire in 1665. Loggan was appointed Public Sculptor to the nearby University of Oxford in the late 1660s, having been commissioned to produce bird’s-eye views of all the Oxford colleges. He lived in Holywell Street as he did this. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' was published in 1675, with the help of Robert White (1645 - 1704). Following its completion, Loggan began work on his equivalent work for Cambridge; the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' was finally published in 1690, when he was made engraver to Cambridge University. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' also includes an engraving of Winchester College (Winchester and New College share William of Wykeham as their founder) whilst the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' includes one of Eton College (which shares its founder, Henry VIII, with King’s College). Bird’s-eye views from this era required a particular talent as an architectural perspectivist; it was not until 1783 that it became possible for artists to ascend via hot air balloons and view the scenes they were depicting from above. Loggan thus had to rely on his imagination in conceiving the views. Loggan’s views constitute the first accurate depictions of the two Universities, in many ways unchanged today. Whilst the Oxford engravings were produced in reasonable numbers and ran to a second edition by Henry Overton (on thicker paper and with a plate number in Roman numerals in the bottom right-hand corner), those of Cambridge were printed in much smaller numbers. The Dutchman Pieter van der Aa published some miniature versions of the engravings for James Beverell’s guidebook to the UK, 'Les Delices de la Grande Bretagne' (circa 1708). The contemporary artist Andrew Ingamells has produced a highly-acclaimed series of etchings which bring Loggan’s original vision up to date. Condition: generally very good. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
David Loggan (1634 - 1692)
Trinity College, Oxford (1705)
Engraving 32 x 41 cm Loggan's view of Trinity from the second edition of the 'Oxonia Illustrata'. Loggan was born to English and Scottish parents, and was baptised in Danzig in 1634. After studying engraving in Danzig with Willem Hondius (1598-1652 or 1658), he moved to London in the late 1650s, going on to produce the engraved title-page for the folio 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He married in 1663 and moved to Nuffield in Oxfordshire in 1665. Loggan was appointed Public Sculptor to the nearby University of Oxford in the late 1660s, having been commissioned to produce bird’s-eye views of all the Oxford colleges. He lived in Holywell Street as he did this. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' was published in 1675, with the help of Robert White (1645 - 1704). Following its completion, Loggan began work on his equivalent work for Cambridge; the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' was finally published in 1690, when he was made engraver to Cambridge University. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' also includes an engraving of Winchester College (Winchester and New College share William of Wykeham as their founder) whilst the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' includes one of Eton College (which shares its founder, Henry VIII, with King’s College). Bird’s-eye views from this era required a particular talent as an architectural perspectivist; it was not until 1783 that it became possible for artists to ascend via hot air balloons and view the scenes they were depicting from above. Loggan thus had to rely on his imagination in conceiving the views. Loggan’s views constitute the first accurate depictions of the two Universities, in many ways unchanged today. Whilst the Oxford engravings were produced in reasonable numbers and ran to a second edition by Henry Overton (on thicker paper and with a plate number in Roman numerals in the bottom right-hand corner), those of Cambridge were printed in much smaller numbers. The Dutchman Pieter van der Aa published some miniature versions of the engravings for James Beverell’s guidebook to the UK, 'Les Delices de la Grande Bretagne' (circa 1708). The contemporary artist Andrew Ingamells has produced a highly-acclaimed series of etchings which bring Loggan’s original vision up to date. Condition: generally very good; second edition. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
David Loggan (1634 - 1692)
The University of Oxford Botanic Garden (1675)
Engraving 40 x 50 cm An eighteenth-century view of one of Oxford's dreamiest spaces: the Botanic Garden, engraved by David Loggan, the noted engraver, draughtsman, and painter. The University of Oxford Botanic Garden was founded in 1621 and is the oldest botanical garden in Great Britain. Loggan's engraving focuses on its architectural qualities, with four features of the garden highlighted for their beauty, symmetry, and prowess of design. Of particular interest in this etching are the six trompe l'oeil pieces: four gently curling pieces of paper which frame the gates of the garden, and two heraldic banners borne by cherubs and sporting legends about the garden's foundation. The Danby Gate (bottom left) at the front entrance to the garden is one of the three entrances designed by Nicholas Stone between 1632 and 1633. The gateway consists of three bays, each with a pediment; the niches contain statues of Charles I and Charles II in classical pose, and the niche in the the central pediment contains a bust of the Earl of Danby (hence the gate's name). Loggan was born to English and Scottish parents, and was baptised in Danzig in 1634. After studying engraving in Danzig with Willem Hondius (1598-1652 or 1658), he moved to London in the late 1650s, going on to produce the engraved title-page for the folio 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He married in 1663 and moved to Nuffield in Oxfordshire in 1665. Loggan was appointed Public Sculptor to the nearby University of Oxford in the late 1660s, having been commissioned to produce bird’s-eye views of all the Oxford colleges. He lived in Holywell Street as he did this. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' was published in 1675, with the help of Robert White (1645 - 1704). Following its completion, Loggan began work on his equivalent work for Cambridge; the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' was finally published in 1690, when he was made engraver to Cambridge University. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' also includes an engraving of Winchester College (Winchester and New College share William of Wykeham as their founder) whilst the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' includes one of Eton College (which shares its founder, Henry VIII, with King’s College). Bird’s-eye views from this era required a particular talent as an architectural perspectivist; it was not until 1783 that it became possible for artists to ascend via hot air balloons and view the scenes they were depicting from above. Loggan thus had to rely on his imagination in conceiving the views. Loggan’s views constitute the first accurate depictions of the two Universities, in many ways unchanged today. Whilst the Oxford engravings were produced in reasonable numbers and ran to a second edition by Henry Overton (on thicker paper and with a plate number in Roman numerals in the bottom right-hand corner), those of Cambridge were printed in much smaller numbers. The Dutchman Pieter van der Aa published some miniature versions of the engravings for James Beverell’s guidebook to the UK, 'Les Delices de la Grande Bretagne' (circa 1708). The contemporary artist Andrew Ingamells has produced a highly-acclaimed series of etchings which bring Loggan’s original vision up to date. Condition: slight toning to central margin, odd marginal losses. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
David Loggan (1634 - 1692)
New College, Oxford (1705)
Engraving 31 x 49 cm Loggan was born to English and Scottish parents, and was baptised in Danzig in 1634. After studying engraving in Danzig with Willem Hondius (1598-1652 or 1658), he moved to London in the late 1650s, going on to produce the engraved title-page for the folio 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He married in 1663 and moved to Nuffield in Oxfordshire in 1665. Loggan was appointed Public Sculptor to the nearby University of Oxford in the late 1660s, having been commissioned to produce bird’s-eye views of all the Oxford colleges. He lived in Holywell Street as he did this. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' was published in 1675, with the help of Robert White (1645 - 1704). Following its completion, Loggan began work on his equivalent work for Cambridge; the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' was finally published in 1690, when he was made engraver to Cambridge University. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' also includes an engraving of Winchester College (Winchester and New College share William of Wykeham as their founder) whilst the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' includes one of Eton College (which shares its founder, Henry VIII, with King’s College). Bird’s-eye views from this era required a particular talent as an architectural perspectivist; it was not until 1783 that it became possible for artists to ascend via hot air balloons and view the scenes they were depicting from above. Loggan thus had to rely on his imagination in conceiving the views. Loggan’s views constitute the first accurate depictions of the two Universities, in many ways unchanged today. Whilst the Oxford engravings were produced in reasonable numbers and ran to a second edition by Henry Overton (on thicker paper and with a plate number in Roman numerals in the bottom right-hand corner), those of Cambridge were printed in much smaller numbers. The Dutchman Pieter van der Aa published some miniature versions of the engravings for James Beverell’s guidebook to the UK, 'Les Delices de la Grande Bretagne' (circa 1708). The contemporary artist Andrew Ingamells has produced a highly-acclaimed series of etchings which bring Loggan’s original vision up to date. Condition: repaired tear to central fold; has been washed. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Brendan Neiland (b. 1941) R.A. (Expelled)
Cherwell Bridge
Screenprint 53 x 34 cm Signed, titled, and numbered 43 / 175 in pencil. A screenprint of Oxford’s beauteous Cherwell Bridge in University Parks, reflected in the glassy surface of the river. Reflected architecture is one of Neiland’s most recurring themes. Neiland's work is widely exhibited in major museums and galleries worldwide including, in Britain, the Victoria and Albert Museum, The Tate Gallery London, The Collections of the British Council, and the Arts Council of Great Britain. He is represented by the Redfern Gallery and has had numerous shows internationally, including at the Galerie Belvedere in Singapore, who represent him in Singapore and the Far East. Condition: very good. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
David Loggan (1634 - 1692)
Jesus College, Oxford (1705)
Engraving 29 x 41 cm Loggan was born to English and Scottish parents, and was baptised in Danzig in 1634. After studying engraving in Danzig with Willem Hondius (1598 - 1652 or 1658), he moved to London in the late 1650s, going on to produce the engraved title-page for the folio 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He married in 1663 and moved to Nuffield in Oxfordshire in 1665. Loggan was appointed Public Sculptor to the nearby University of Oxford in the late 1660s, having been commissioned to produce bird’s-eye views of all the Oxford colleges. He lived in Holywell Street as he did this. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' was published in 1675, with the help of Robert White (1645 - 1704). Following its completion, Loggan began work on his equivalent work for Cambridge; the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' was finally published in 1690, when he was made engraver to Cambridge University. The "Oxonia Illustrata" also includes an engraving of Winchester College (Winchester and New College share William of Wykeham as their founder) whilst the "Cantabrigia Illustrata" includes one of Eton College (which shares its founder, Henry VIII, with King’s College). Bird’s-eye views from this era required a particular talent as an architectural perspectivist; it was not until 1783 that it became possible for artists to ascend via hot air balloons and view the scenes they were depicting from above. Loggan thus had to rely on his imagination in conceiving the views. Loggan’s views constitute the first accurate depictions of the two Universities, in many ways unchanged today. Whilst the Oxford engravings were produced in reasonable numbers and ran to a second edition by Henry Overton (on thicker paper and with a plate number in Roman numerals in the bottom right-hand corner), those of Cambridge were printed in much smaller numbers. The Dutchman Pieter van der Aa published some miniature versions of the engravings for James Beverell’s guidebook to the UK, ''Les Delices de la Grande Bretagne'' (circa 1708). The contemporary artist Andrew Ingamells has produced a highly-acclaimed series of etchings which bring Loggan’s original vision up to date. Condition: generally very good. Slight time staining. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.
