This pastoral scene by famed landscape painter John Glover offers a glimpse into an imagined past. A sweeping and serene view of the imposing Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, seen nestled in the hills – a symbol of solidity and enduring tradition among the untamed woodland encircling it. Until migrating to Tasmania in 1831 at the age of 64, such idyllic English landscapes were Glover’s quintessential style – before the unfamiliar Australian landscape would spark a new direction in his work.

The viewpoint chosen by Glover for this delicate sepia watercolour is the one seen when approaching the Hall towards the principal entrance. He would have visited on a sketching trip from when he lived just south of Derbyshire. Heritage tourism became an increasingly popular pastime during the Victorian period – paid tours were one way to offset the considerable expense of maintaining these monumental Norman-era buildings. For artists like Glover, these trips cultivated a new genre of picturesque, idealised, English-ness – cut off from the looming threat of factories and industrialisation.

Like the sinuous trees that bend to frame the architectural remnants of a long gone past, this watercolour encloses this brief moment outside Haddon Hall and preserves it. For lovers of watercolours, early Australian colonial artists, or quiet landscapes, ‘Haddon Hall, Derbyshire’ is a delightful discovery.

John GLOVER (1767 - 1849)
'Haddon Hall, Derbyshire'
watercolour on paper
Image Size: 25 x 35 cm
Dimensions: 42 x 51 x 1 cm
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Condition: Very Good

(c) The Artist or Assignee