Cotmania. Vol. IX. 1933-4
Archive: SDK Sydney Decimus Kitson Archive
Reference Number: SDK/1/2/1/9
Page: p. 18 recto
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Description
Letter from Jack W. Goodison to Sydney Kitson with hand-written note by Kitson.
Letter from Jack W. Goodison to Kitson concerning a volume of Cotman etchings (portraits) recently aquired by Goodison. A description of the first portrait provisionally recognises the sitter as Rev. Pendlebury Houton.
Handwritten note by Kitson comments on the singularity of the prints. Both letter and Kitson's note are continued on the reverse.Date: 1933-1934
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Transcription
{Kitson's note }
D. T's sale. May 16 1859— lot 476— Cotman, Etchings in s.g, for the most part [unpainted], by J. S. of Jan. Made during the years 1814,15,16 +17. A very interesting volume: containing 5 [subjects]— + 1 pencil sketch. Probably no similar series exists.
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{letter from Jack W. Goodison}
5 Feb, 1934
Dear Kitson,
We had given to us the other day a volume of J. S. Cotman's soft-ground etchings. An inscription in the front calls the volume Cotmany Liber Studiorum. It consists of 43 soft-ground etchings, 5 etched figure subjects, lone etching of a font at chatgrave by Cotman + Crome.
The first of the soft-ground etchings is a portrait of a man, half-length, profile right. He wears the [illegible 1 word] waistcoat of the period with an ample collar, buttoned rather close below after overflowing above, a neck-cloth. He is clean-shaven, with a very, big, hooked nose, + his hair is receding a good deal, + hangs in long whisps. He is an unpleasing looking fellow, + the execution of the drawing is poor.
Can you identify this gentleman? Is he the Rev. Pendlebury Houton, to whom you refer in your Walpole paper? On circumstantial evidence he well might be. The plate-mark measure 10 15/16 x 8 inch.
The same in the front says
