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| Title | A Rocky Coast with a Town and Ships | |
| Collection | Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle | |
| Artist | Kobell, Hendrik (Dutch draftsman, painter, and etcher, 1751-1779) | |
| Date Earliest | probably about 1770 | |
| Date Latest | 1779 | |
| Description | Hendrick Kobell obtained an international reputation with his drawings of seaports and river views, but his paintings are relatively rare. In this imaginary harbour scene, the dramatic mountainous landscape in the background conforms to the contemporary taste for the sublime. The medieval ruins and small figures of peasants and travellers in vaguely Oriental costumes in the foreground are more characteristic of picturesque landscapes and illustrated travel-books. | |
| Current Accession Number | B.M.144 | |
| Former Accession Number | No. 139; No. 573 | |
| Subject | landscape; marine | |
| Measurements | 59.7 x 82.4 cm cm (estimate) | |
| Material | oil on canvas | |
| Acquisition Details | Bequeathed by the founders John and Joséphine Bowes 1885. | |
| Provenance | Purchased by John and Joséphine Bowes from Lamer, 1865, as Un tableau marine by 'vander Kobel', 50 francs. | |
| Principal Exhibitions | Hidden Treasures of the Bowes Museum, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, 2001 - 2002. | |
| Notes | According to museum records, a signature was once visible, but no signature has been found in any examination undertaken after 1960. The painting may be dated to the 1770s, since it was only after a trip to London in 1770 that Kobell, who originally trained as a merchant, decided to devote himself to his artistic career. He died in 1779 in Delfshaven, near Rotterdam. |
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| Rights Owner | The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham | |
| Author | Dr Mercedes Cerón | |