Cotmania. Vol. IV. 1929-30

March 18. Went to V & A [Victoria and Albert] Museum - noticed a beautiful Road near Borrowdale by Edmund Dowell, 1778-1857 - v[er]y good in the early Cotman manner.
(watermark 1804.)
Francis Danby 1793 - 1861 (sometimes at Bristol.)
View from Dolgelly - dated 1802 on back, by Cornelius Varley. 1781 - 1873.
A Devonshire Cottage by Francis Stevens of Exeter. 1781-1823 dated 1806.
Dined with Edward Marsh - 5 Raymonds B[uildin]gs. His flat is overwhelmingly full of pictures. His R Wilson Cader Idris. Superb. lovely Blake. Early Turner. Superb Rowlandson - 'The Water Tower York' by J S C. - He showed me some Cotman drawings on a box - from Horne Collection. (1) Pencil of Easby Abbey. a late drawing from the etching, signed J S Cotman, but the work of the atelier (2) 'A Sketching Club' sepia woodland scene, distinctly good, unsigned. (3) Sepia of E. end of St Jacques Dieppe, which I took away with me. His modern work is bewildering in its complexity - a very happy evening.
March 19. Went to B. M. [British Museum] & looked thro' 3 more vols of the D[awson] T[urner] Coll. Saw the Exhibition at Fine Arts got together by Thomson of E.E. - W.Cs - rather a poor show of 92 drawings.'The Brick Makers' by De Wint (for which he asked 65 g[uinea]s) was an outstanding drawing. Small but full of quality.
March 20. Met Palser at Christie's. Went with him to his shop where I bought 'Brecon Bridge', water colour and a pencil of a Lytch Gate near Llangollen.
Went on to the Tate & looked thro' the Powell Coll[ectio]n again.