Archive: SDK Sydney Decimus Kitson Archive
Reference Number: SDK/1/2/1/4
Page: 16 recto (numbered 27)
Description
Kitson's visits to the British Museum to see a selection of paintings in the Manuscripts room, and to meet with Laurence Binyon, who had returned from Japan after presenting a watercolour exhibition there
Kitson's visits to the British Museum to see a selection of paintings in the Manuscripts room, and to meet with Laurence Binyon, who had returned from Japan after presenting a watercolour exhibition there
Date:
Transcription
Jan 21st 1930. Went to the M.S.S. [Manuscripts] room at the B.M. [British Museum]. Looked thro' the Norwich vols of D. Turner's Illustrations. There are 36 monochrome sepia views of Norwich churches, all signed 'JBC 1813' or 'JBC' or 'J B Crome Jr' - one is 'June 1813.'
There are 2 or 3 fonts by him, There is no attempt at copying JSC. The drawing is poor, but the concentration of light on definite portions is sometimes 'artist-like'.
There is a lithograph 'Heigham Grove' attributed to Cotman in the catalogue. It is a view of a house with sash windows and battlements - 'to be sold by private contract ... for price and further particulars apply to Mr W. Hinsbury, architect, etc, Green Lane, Norwich.' - there follows a plan of a house & grounds. Litho' by J. M. Johnson, Norwich. The view of the house is not a great performance, but the trees + foliage are well rendered. It probably lost much in the lithographing. There is no date - ? c. 1823?
Jan 31st 1930. Called on Mr. Jean Richeton (St John's Wood Gallery) He has a late Cotman drawing of a river on blue paper. (charcoal and chalk) Same sort as R H K's 50. He wanted £12.
Went to British Museum. Saw Laurence Binyon who spoke of his mission to Japan and of the exh[ibitio]n of watercolours he took. The Japs especially like Alex Cozens, Blake & Rowlandson.
I hurriedly looked through some of the drawings which he had taken to Japan. E. Marsh's 'York water tower', Colman's 'Greta Woods'. Fry's 'East Barsham' - a very bold 'Shipwreck' in charcoal, late and chaotic, lent by A Morrison. An early 'Sea Shore' scene, with very solid cumuli.
There was a glorious unfinished Harlech Castle, large, from the ravine side, by Girtin.