John White Abbott (1763-1851)
A rustic, Fordland
KT312
Inscribed and dated in pencil verso: Fordland Aug 17.1826, pen and grey ink and
grey washes recto, pencil sketches of rustics, verso
17 x 11.9 cm; 6 ¾ x 4 ¾ inches
Provenance
Thomas Agnew & Sons Ltd, no. 39193
In 1825 John White Abbott the Exeter surgeon and apothecary inherited the Devon estate of Fordland from his uncle James White a barrister and non-conformist. He delighted in drawing the woodland on his estate, developing the style he learnt from Francis Towne his
drawing master with sophisticated handling of light and shade in the depiction of trees in monochrome.