Peter De Wint (1784-1849) - Landscape with windmill on an estuary
De Wint would often depict windmills in his watercolours and drawings, with our picture being a typical example of the artist. Two comparable works are held in the collections at Winchester College and Eaton College, they are titled 'Randall's Mill, Nine Elms, London' and 'Chiswick Reach (The Thames at Chiswick)'. Although our work is a different location, it could easily be a composition of another spot on the River Thames.
The watercolour was most likely painted on De Wint's favourite paper produced by Thomas Creswick. [1] It was a rougher paper that allowed a higher absorption of the watercolour paint that favoured De Wint's use of tints. It was also a stronger paper that De Wint could use his scratching out technique.
Medium: watercolour on paper, 26.5 x 42 cm, framed.
Provenance: Halls Fine Art Auctioneers, Fine Art Sale 11/8/06, lot 310 (label verso); Private collection, England.
Bibliography:
[1] John Lord (ed.), 'Peter DeWint 1784-1849: For the common observer of life and nature', Aldershot: Lund Humphries (2007). See chapter 6 by Peter Bowe 'Peter DeWint and Thomas Creswick's Paper: Signed all over' for an overview on the paper De Wint used.
Condition report: generally in very good condition with some fading from time. The frame shows small loses.