John Sell Cotman

Study of a Plant, probably a burdock
c. 1814

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This is a rapid but careful note of a plant with large, fleshy, arrow-shaped leaves, possibly identifiable as the common burdock (Arctium Minus). As Kitson 1937 notes, there is a faint inscription of colour notes by Cotman, lower left, but these are too faint to be legible.

Cotman made numerous studies of plants, generally of common weeds that typified his haunts as an artist. They occur throughout his career, but there is a particular group evidently made in the years of his first major etching projects beginning in 1810. The present example is on paper watermarked 1811. Kitson 1937 notes the similarity of the leaves here to those in a now-untraced watercolour called 'The Red Cloak' of c.1814, which was then in the collection of his nephew, Robert Hawthorn Kitson.

Leeds has another study of a similar plant (LEEAG.1949.0009.0440); less carefully drawn, but sufficiently close as make one wonder at the repetition.

This drawing is one of eleven mounted on one large sheet ('V') as acquired by Sydney Kitson in 1928. The group comprises of pencil drawings of trees and tree (or sequestered) landscapes, on a variety of papers, and evidently from a variety of sources. Between 1928 and 1937, Kitson mounted them all individually and gave them new numbers for the catalogue drawn up in the latter year [K291-301].

David Hill, August 2017

• Provenance

  One of perhaps two thousand pencil drawings mounted by Cotman on large sheets sometime after 1820 and by descent to the
  'Highly important sale by auction of a rare and valuable collection of works of art, by the following artists: John Sell Cotman, Miles Edmund Cotman, Varley, Sillett, Hobart, and Teniers, Pritchett, Hannah, S D Colkett, Nursey, and others..' at Murrell's Bazaar salerooms, Norwich, 26-27 November 1862;

  Charles Muskett, bookseller and printer of Norwich (1804-1856) by whom sold to Mr Orfeur, businessman of Yarmouth and later civil servant;

  [?John] Orfeur and by descent to his son, Mr Herbert Orfeur of the Old House, Wimborne Dorset;

  Herbert Orfeur (d.1945) bought June 1928 by
  S.D.Kitson (1871 - 1937);

  S.D.Kitson (1871 - 1937) bequeathed to Leeds Art Gallery and accessioned 1949;

• Published References

  Sydney Decimus Kitson, 'The Catalogue of the Collection of Drawings by J.S.Cotman', 1924-1937, unpublished typescript at Leeds Art Gallery, c.1937, cat.298;

  'Leeds City Art Galleries: Concise Catalogue' [Leeds: Leeds City Council, 1976] cat. 9.030/49;

• Related Objects

  ['The Red Cloak' c.1814, which was then in the collection of Robert Hawthorne Kitson];

  'Study of leaves', Leeds Art Gallery, LEEAG.1949.0009.0440;

• Inscriptions

  Support, recto, in graphite by J.S. Cotman, [faint colour notes, illegible];

• Collector's Notes

  Sydney Decimus Kitson, 'The Catalogue of the Collection of Drawings by J.S.Cotman', 1924-1937, unpublished typescript at Leeds Art Gallery, c.1937, cat.298;
  STUDY OF A PLANT
  3 7/8" x 5 5/8"
  inscribed (very faintly) with colour notes
  Watermark MOTT
  11 [text precede by downward ink stroke and dot pattern]
  Perhaps a study for the plant, right bottom
  corner of R.H.Kitson's watercolour - 'The
  Red Cloak' c. 1814.
  Ex. Muskett-Orpen Coll. V.8.
  June 1928.

• Alternate Numbers

  Other number: 9.30/49
  Previous Number: LEEAG.PA.1949.0009.0030
  Kitson Number: KITSON.298.V.08
  Negative Number: 862/38(26)