About this lot

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Major General James Pattison Cockburn (British, 1779-1847)View of Norwich Cathedral from the riverwatercolour on paper43.5 x 69cmProvenance: Thomas Agnew & Sons, London;Guy Peppiatt Fine Art, LondonFootnote:Major-General James Pattison Cockburn (1779-1847) was born in New York City to a family of soldiers and entered the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich, England, in 1793. It was here, while studying topography, that Cockburn first learnt to draw under the tutelage of the Academy’s Chief Drawing Master, Paul Sandby (1731-1809). The precise nature of drawing - required by military draftsman - that was taught at the Academy allowed Cockburn to develop the strong sense of perspective which came to characterise his drawing style. Between 1793 and his retirement in 1846, Cockburn travelled extensively and produced several travel books which he illustrated himself. They include A Voyage to Cadiz and Gibraltar, with 30 coloured plates, published in 1815; Swiss Scenery, with 62 plates, in 1820; The Route of the Simplon, in 1822; The Valley of Aosta, in 1823 and Pompeii Illustrated, in folio, in 1827. From 1809 onwards, as an honorary member, Cockburn exhibited numerous watercolours at the Norwich Society of Artists and developed friendships with some of the leading figures of the Norwich School. In 1860, nine of his works were exhibited by the Norfolk and Norwich Fine Art Association in a posthumous show to honour local artists. In a review for the Norwich Mercury, his name appeared alongside the key players of the Norwich School and he was described as an “excellent artist”.

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