G. Cooper

Oriel College, Oxford

Watercolour

27 x 35 cm

A view of Oriel’s Second Quad, featuring the Wyatt Building on the left. Designed in the Neoclassical style by James Wyatt, it was built between 1788 and 1796 when the College’s library doubled in size thanks to a generous gift by Edward, Baron Leigh, formerly High Steward of the university and an alumnus of Oriel. The building has rusticated arches on the ground floor and a row of Ionic columns above, dividing the façade into seven bays. Cooper’s watercolour focuses on the architectural merit of the building, highlighting the sandy tone of Oxford’s famous Headington stone. Two figures in academic dress take part in a spirited discussion just outside the building.

Condition: generally very good.