MAKING A MARK: Who painted this? #64

The first time I saw this painting I was absolutely bowled over by it. Some of you may also have seen it – but can you remember where and when?

If you think about it, you’ve got a number of clues as to:

How to participate in “Who painted this? #64

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Who painted this? #63

Title of the artwork: Mont St. Michel
Name of the artist who created this artwork:  John Sell Cotman (1782-1842)
Date it was created: between 1818 and 1830
Media used: Watercolour, over graphite
Where it lives now: British Museum and various other places e.g. Harrow School

Cotman visited Normandy several times and Mont St Michel is apparently
one of the places he made a point of visiting on every trip.

The “give aways” in this painting are 

• the colours used in the palette
  (which for me, on their own, spell ‘Cotman’),  
• the very precise architecture – always a key characteristic of Cotman’s
  work and 
• the general style of painting.

The potential stumbling block is that there are a number of versions of this
painting. Mine came from the one I saw at the exhibition of John Sell Cotman’s
drawings and paintings at Dulwich Gallery in 2012 – see Review: Cotman in Normandy – at Dulwich Picture Gallery. This version was lent by Harrow School – but you can also see
a very good example in the British Museum.

I wasn’t picky as to which location people said it could be found in.

Who guessed correct?

The first person to get it correct was “Loza” who provided a model
answer

The watercolour painting ‘Mont St Michel’ was painted by John Sell
Cotman in 1828. John Sell Cotman is father of John Josef Cotman – both
noteworthy artists. The painting, Mont St Michel is one of many version
of Mont St Michel in France. This version is housed in the collection of
Manchester Art Gallery. Cotman was born in 1782 here in Norwich and died
in 1842. He was a member of the Norwich school of Painters. He turned
down the opportunity to continue in the family business (silk merchants
and lace dealers) and headed to London to develop as an artist. Here he
made friends with artists such as Turner, and Girtin and joined their
sketching club, travelling and painting with them in Surrey and
Wales.

Cotman maintained close links with Norfolk and although his works were
not highly rated during his lifetime and earned him little money, since
his death, wealthy benefactors such as the Colman’s of Mustard fame
bought many of his archaelogical drawings and etchings, and sketches and
paintings of rural scenes and marine landscapes. Colman donated his vast
collection to the Norwich Castle Museum where a permanent exhibition
space is dedicated to his works and are well worth a visit to see. Like
Turner, John Sell Cotman is now considered in the highest esteem for his
sensitive draughtsmanship and as a natural colourist. NB. Cotman painted
in oils up and until 1822 when he returned to painting in watercolours
inspired by JWM Turner. Cotman loved his native Norfolk and was keen to
paint the archeology, landscapes, seascapes and people of northern
France to show how what Norfolk had in common with the French
region.

Others who got the correct answer were:

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