Dumbarton Rock from the South

Farington here describes a twin-peaked volcanic plug in southwest Scotland situated at the confluence of the rivers Clyde and Leven. This southern view includes the castle, garrison, and gun battery built near the shore to defend a key access point to the sea. One of the most adept and prolific landscape draftsmen of his generation, the artist traveled through Scotland between August and October 1788, to prepare designs for aquatints in a projected five-volume History of the Principal Rivers of Great Britain. The French Revolution severely impacted the British print trade, and the prints devoted to Scottish rivers unfortunately were never published. This drawing nevertheless records Farington’s strong aesthetic response to the distinct northern landscape.

Credit: Purchase, Raymond Lifchez Living Trust Gift, 2014