Irish Cars (Study of Two Carts in a Landscape)

Cornelius Varley

1800–1873 · Pen and black ink, brush and gray wash, over graphite · Drawings and Prints

An inscription at lower left indicates that Varley made this drawing in Ireland. Two hand-carts made out of rough planks rest at different angles in a rural yard near a two-storey building, with small structures roofed in tile and thatch beyond. Pen and ink over graphite has been applied to describe the buildings and landscape, with wash added to detail the carts. Brother to the well-known watercolor teacher John Varley, Cornelius was himself a skilled draftsman and watercolorist, and became known for inventing the Graphic Telescope, an optical device that helped artists achieve correct perspective.

Artist

Cornelius Varley

Date

1800–1873

Medium

Pen and black ink, brush and gray wash, over graphite

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Roberta J. M. Olson and Alexander B. V. Johnson, in memory of Professor and Mrs. E. Dudley H. Johnson, 2007