Cotmania. Vol. VIII. 1932-3

Jan: 10, 1933. Called on Mrs Girtin, saw the drawing, a large study of rocks & trees, inscribed on back 'Thos. Girtin 1797' - a fine, austere, if rather dull, thing. I think the attribution to Girtin is probably correct: it does not seem to me to be Cotman's work. It is too clean and direct for him in his 1800-1802 period - to which period this drawing, if it were his, would belong.
The Girtins have a very beautiful watercolour of Bolton Abbey, full length from the South s[l]ightly to East. River in foreground right, slightly faded in sky; much cerulian blue and a bit of pink by contrast - probably winter of 1803-4. They have a new large J. R. Cozens, Vesuvius from Sir William Hamilton’s villa. Very fresh and perfect in colour. I think the best J. R. C. I have seen. I collected about 2 dozen Cotman photos from Walker.