The Honister Pass from Gatesgarth Farm, Gatesgarthdale, Lake District

Edward Dayes

1789–1804 · Watercolour over graphite, heightened with reductive techniques · Drawings and Prints

The Lake District inspired some of Dayes's finest work, and lively washes are here applied in a manner that influenced Thomas Girtin, the artist's most notable pupil. When Girtin and J. M. W. Turner toured Britain in the 1790s, they worked in a style learned from Dayes, whose important role in developing watercolor's potential is little recognized. Here, he uses strong framing elements and enhances the scene with distinct local details. A late 18th century taste for picturesque roughness is heightened by the steeply falling terrain and swiftly moving clouds to add drama and immediacy.

Artist

Edward Dayes

Date

1789–1804

Medium

Watercolour over graphite, heightened with reductive techniques

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Mary Oenslager Fund, 2014