The Cotman Collection | 3

Cotmania. Vol. II. 1927-8

Archive: SDK Sydney Decimus Kitson Archive
Reference Number: SDK/1/2/1/2
Page: 5 recto


  • Description

    Visit to Norwich - Colman collection, Boswell's shop, Mrs Cotman's

    Diary entry

    Date: 18 Jul 1927

  • Transcription

    {Diary entry}
    Norwich
    July 18 1927. Visited R.J.Colman’s collection at Crown Point, Norwich – with R.H.K. & N.D.Lupton. The Normandy sepias especially fine. Saw ‘Crypt in Normandy’ (facsimile of that exhibited at Walker’s Gallery July ’27) In the afternoon called at Boswell’s shop. Saw facsimile of ‘dismasted brig’ in British Museum (60£ asked) Boswell sent the drawing subsequently to Isherwood Kay, who replied – ‘It is extremely good, but has not the strength and sublety (sic) of the original. The difference in the blues is also very marked. The blues in your drawing are stony gray & this I have always noted as a characteristic of Miles Edmund in the eighteen-thirties. I take your drawing to be an extremely able rendering of John Sell by Miles Edmund. The matter would seem to be clinched however by a note in Reeve’s writing on the back of the British Museum drawing , which reads – “Mrs Dalrymple has a drawing of this subject by M.E. Cotman.” (Mrs Dalrymple was the widow of a lawyer in Norwich – the partner of Davis, author of ‘Cruise of the Swan')
    Later in the afternoon Boswell took us to the house of Mrs Cotman, wife of an architect, who is a son of F.G.Cotman the artist: 58 Mill Hill Road, Norwich. We saw another rendering of ‘Entrance to Falaise’; ‘W. End of the Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen’ – a late figurepiece ‘King John at Swineshead Abbey’ (nasty) & several M.E.C’s. There was a very finely painted oil portrait of [crossed out - Edmund] Henry Cotman (J.S.C’s youngest brother) seated on the ground. The boy is about 7, & as he was 20 years younger than J.S.C. it must have been painted c. 1809. A poor oil painting of Cotman’s father by J.S.C. & several pencil portraits.

Visit to Norwich - Colman collection, Boswell's shop, Mrs Cotman's