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--- thomas_prior_s_album [2024/12/01 17:12] – judith
+++ thomas_prior_s_album [2025/02/28 10:02] (current) – judith
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 ====== Thomas Prior's album ======
-Fiona and Emma Cullen-Ward have shared with us a marvellous sketchbook with the owner's name inside 'Captain Prior 1845'. It appears to be a compilation of sketches and paintings by family members, initially many by his son William Prior (1821-44)-see [[william|William Augustus Murray Prior]]. It is probable that it belonged to William, then inherited by his father who added to it. The sketchbook is rather battered and a little larger than an A4 paper and around 4cm thick. The following reproductions (in the order they appear in the book) show why it was so treasured. To enlarge, just click on the photo. Any comments, as always, are very welcome. As you can see, there are many unanswered questions about this collection.\\
+Fiona and Emma Cullen-Ward have shared with us a marvellous sketchbook with the owner's name inside 'Captain Prior 1845'. It appears to be a compilation of sketches and paintings by family members, initially many by his son William Prior (1821-44)-see [[william|William Augustus Murray Prior]]. It is probable that it belonged to William, then inherited by his father who added to it. The sketchbook is rather battered and a little larger than an A4 paper and around 4cm thick. {{:scan_20241201_48_.jpg?200|}}\\
+The following reproductions (in the order they appear in the book) show why it was so treasured. To enlarge, just click on the photo. Any comments, as always, are very welcome. As you can see, there are many unanswered questions about this collection.\\
 {{:scan_20241126.jpg?300|}} Is this a battlefield allegory with the British lion overhead? \\
 {{:scan_20241126_2_.jpg?300|}} William has initialed (W.P.) this fine painting of cows and dated it 1832. Given that he turned 11 years old in November that year, it is very unlikely he drew it, and unlikely that he copied it with such perfection. Did young William put his name or initials on drawings to indicate ownership? William's art teacher Thomas Cooper painted so many cows that he was called 'Cow Cooper' so it may be one of his or, given the loose sketch below, is it by his father Thomas?\\
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 {{:mix_scan_20241126_30_.jpg?300|}} {{:mix_plus_woman_scan_20241126_30_.jpg?300|}} These pages show a mix of styles and subjects, but on the second page, is it the same young woman again, this time going to bed rather than in it?\\
 {{:again_pont_de_l_scan_20241126_30_.jpg?300|}} The bottom drawing is dated 25 Janvier[?] 1843.\\
-{{:four_mix_styles_scan_20241126_30_.jpg?300|}} The bottom left drawing is labelled 'View on the Thames', dated Sept 22nd 1843 and signed 'W.P.' indicating that William had returned with his regiment to England. The bottom right drawing is exquisitely detailed and dated the next day and titled 'View from Barnsbury Park' in Islington, London. Peaceful and welcome sights (if not for that young woman in his previous sketches?) where 22-year-old William could expect to be safe.\\
+{{:four_mix_styles_scan_20241126_30_.jpg?300|}} The bottom left drawing is labelled 'View on the Thames', dated Sept 22nd 1843 and signed 'W.P.' indicating that William had returned with his regiment to England. Peaceful and welcome sights (if not for that young woman in his previous sketches?) where 22-year-old William could expect to be safe. Yet he had less than six months to live.\\
+The bottom right drawing is exquisitely detailed and dated the next day and titled 'View from Barnsbury Park' in Islington, London. The following is an enhanced version of it - {{:enhanced_barnsburty_park_scan_20241126_30_.jpg?400|}} \\
+Historian Hamish Graham advises that the wheel at the centre of the drawing is most likely an amusement park ride. He points out that it is unlikely to be a water wheel as it's not close enough to a water course and is too flimsy to bear the weight of water. It is similar in some ways but not a ferris wheel. As Charlie Shailor pointed out, ferris wheels were not invented until 1893 and were much larger.\\
 {{:scan_20241201.jpg?300|}}\\
 {{:scan_20241201_2_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_3_.jpg?300|}} Was a theatre performance and/or romance on his mind?\\
-{{:scan_20241201_4_.jpg?300|}} There is a title - most likely a placename - at the bottom of this sketch, but it's now too faint to decipher.\\
+{{:scan_20241201_4_.jpg?300|}} There is a title - most likely a place name - at the bottom of this sketch, but it's now too faint to decipher.\\
 {{:scan_20241201_5_.jpg?300|}} Is this the view William saw when his troop ship moored in the Thames? \\
 {{:scan_20241201_6_.jpg?300|}} Drawings of fictional characters. The one of 'Black-eyed Susan' is initialled 'W.P.' - she is a character in a 1829 comic play. The middle sketch is labelled The Maid of Athens and is a copy of the illustration of the poem of that name by Lord Byron expressing passionate regret at having to leave her. The original illustration was published in 1833.\\
@@ Line 37: / Line 40: @@
 {{:scan_20241201_8_.jpg?300|}} A sketch of the gateway of St Augustine's Monastery, Canterbury. There is a blank page after this drawing, perhaps indicating that William had died.\\
-{{:scan_20241201_9_.jpg?300|}} These two sketches are signed E. Skynner 1816. She was William's mother and Thomas's second wife. She turned 21 in 1816 and married Thomas Prior two years later. It appears that William inherited his talent from his mother. There is another blank page, then a series of flower paintings on thick paper which have been pasted into the album. \\
+{{:scan_20241201_9_.jpg?300|}} These two sketches are signed E. Skynner 1816. Eliza Skynner was William's mother and Thomas's second wife. She turned 21 in 1816 and married Thomas Prior two years later. It appears that William inherited his talent from his mother. There is another blank page, then a series of flower paintings on thick paper which have been pasted into the album. \\
-{{:scan_20241201_10_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_11_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_12_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_13_.jpg?300|}}{{:scan_20241201_14_.jpg?300|}} These beautifully precise and colourful paintings which took huge patience are typical of botanical illustrations at which women of this era excelled. Are they by Eliza Skynner?\\
+{{:scan_20241201_10_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_11_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_12_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_13_.jpg?300|}}{{:scan_20241201_14_.jpg?300|}} These beautifully precise and colourful paintings which took huge patience are typical of botanical illustrations at which women of this era excelled. Are they by Eliza Skynner? Sadly 19th century concepts of feminine modesty meant that women frequently did not sign or initial their works.\\
+{{:scan_20241201_15_.jpg?300|}}{{:scan_20241201_16_.jpg?300|}} Is this scene and another flower painting also Eliza Skynner's?\\
+\\ The family had two larger unsigned paintings of flowers - sadly somewhat marked - but in a similar style as the flower paintings in this album. See [[eliza_skynner|Eliza Prior, nee Skynner]]\\
+\\
+There is another blank page (indicating change in artist?), then this delicate scene drawn on cardboard {{:scan_20241201_17_.jpg?300|}} and signed T.S. Cooper and possibly a date: presumably Thomas Sidney Cooper, William's art teacher and talented landscape artist. \\
+Then there are pages of miscellaneous art. {{:scan_20241201_18_.jpg?300|}} A cartoon by BB Ashford and then an original sketch of man and boy fishing; {{:scan_20241201_19_cropped.jpg?200|}} A copy (with different colours) of a drawing by Marianne Postans in her //Cutch; or, random sketches, taken during a residence in one of the northern provinces of Western India; interspersed with legends and traditions//, 1839; and, on the last page of this section, a sketch possibly by William in Europe.{{:scan_20241201_20_.jpg?300|}}\\
+After this, the album changes from white pages suitable to sketch on to blue pages more designed to paste in other's work. In both cases, there is white tissue paper between the pages to protect the artwork.
+{{:scan_20241201_21_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_22_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_26_.jpg?300|}} The last of these three pages also includes sketches initialled W.P. {William Prior]. The middle head is based on a 1760 painting of King Lear by Sir Joshua Reynolds and William has initialled and dated it July 24, 1842. It is possible that all the sketches on this page are all by William.\\
+{{:scan_20241201_27_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_30_.jpg?300|}}{{:scan_20241201_28_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_29_.jpg?300|}} sketches one of which appears to be used for drawing practice.\\
+{{:scan_20241201_31_.jpg?300|}} an unknown sketch\\
+{{:scan_20241201_32_.jpg?300|}}{{:scan_20241201_33_.jpg?300|}} {{:scan_20241201_34_.jpg?200|}}Three more paintings by Eliza: one before she married so initialled E--- S--- 1812; other after she married, so initialled E. P-- 1830; and the third an unfinished one signed E. S-- 1814.\\
+The back cover of this fascinating album has the following sketch pasted on it: {{:scan_20241201_36_.jpg?200|}}\\
+There are also a number of loose drawings and illustrations that belong to the period of time of the album: three romantic sketches most likely from books or magazines: {{:scan_20241201_37_.jpg?200|}}; {{:scan_20241201_38_.jpg?200|}}and {{:scan_20241201_39_.jpg?200|}}. The others are eight souvenir prints of Bruges: {{:scan_20241201_40_.jpg?200|}}{{:scan_20241201_41_.jpg?200|}}{{:scan_20241201_42_.jpg?200|}}{{:scan_20241201_47_.jpg?200|}}{{:scan_20241201_46_.jpg?200|}}{{:scan_20241201_45_.jpg?200|}}{{:scan_20241201_44_.jpg?200|}}{{:scan_20241201_43_.jpg?200|}}.  \\
-More to come!