Sold Fifty-one, twenty-two brown wash, twelve pencil, eleven black chalk and six watercolour, two on Whatman Turkey Mill paper dated 1850
Including studies of trees, cottages, landscapes, castles, rocks and yachts Various sizes, bound in an album embossed: STUDIES/BY/J.D. HARDING
This rare intact album of drawings by Harding may have been made as a learning aid for pupils. Two of the sheets are watermarked 1850, the year Harding published ?Lessons on Trees? so they may be studies relating to that publication. John Ruskin admired Harding?s work and described him as `after Turner, unquestionably the greatest master of foliage in
Provenance:
Geoffrey Roberts, King?s Nympton,
Sold Signed lower left: JDHarding/1841
Watercolour over pencil heightened with bodycolour
323 x 208 mm., 11 ½ x 8 in.
Provenance
Sir Thomas Lucas of 12a Kensington Palace Gardens, his sale, Christie’s, 9th June 1902, lot 170, bt. Vokins for 11 guineas
William Cooke of North Bank, Muswell Hill, his sale, Christie’s, 8th June 1917, lot 30, bt. Matthews for 18 guineas
Landeck is located in the Tyrolean Oberland in the west of Austria and is capital of the region of the same name. It is situated at 820 metres in the valley of the Inn River. A version of this watercolour was engraved for Harding’s Sketches at Home and Abroad, 1836, p.21.
Sold Inscribed and dated: Castelmare/ Novr. 29. 1830
Pencil on blue paper heightened with gum arabic
25.7 by 35.9cm., 10 by 14 in.
Harding was born in Deptford, London, the son of the engraver and drawing master John Harding (c.1777-1846). He had lessons from Samuel Prout (see no.61), whose influence is evident in his drawings, and exhibited at the Royal Academy from the age of 13. He was a pioneer in lithography and a successful drawing master. His drawings, often on coloured papers, are his most impressive works influencing the young Ruskin and Edward Lear’s early style is also indebted to Harding’s drawings and lithographs.
He first visited Italy in 1824 and nos. 52 to 54 all date from his Italian tour in late 1830. Castellammare is 19 miles south of Naples on the way to Sorrento. The ninth century castle is visible on the hillside.
This is the preliminary drawing for plate 18 in Jenning’s Landscape Annual of 1832 and Roscoe’s The Tourist in Italy published the same year.
Sold Inscribed: Bridge of Vico Novr 30 /1830
Pencil on blue paper with watermark Smith and Allnutt 1828
25.4 by 35.8 cm., 10 by 14 in.
Vico Equense is located on a clifftop between Castellammare di Stabia and Sorrento on the Amalfi coast. The inscription `Bridge of Vico’ refers to the unusual grotto beneath the town.
This is the preliminary drawing for plate 20 in Jenning’s Landscape Annual of 1832 and Roscoe’s The Tourist in Italy published the same year.
Sold Inscribed upper right: Sorrento/Nov 28./1830
Watercolour over pencil heightened with white on blue paper
25.4 by 35.8 cm., 10 by 14 in.
Sold Inscribed: Caub-/Castle of Gottenfels& Pfalz/30 Auq 1834.
Watercolour and pencil heightened with white on buff paper
19.1 by 27.2 cm., 7 ½ by 10 ¾ in.
The minute Pfalz (or Falkenau) Island lies in the middle of the Rhine River near Kaub, Germany. Pfalzgrafenstein Castle, on the island, was one of the many toll castles built for the sole purpose of generating revenue from boats travelling along the river. The Castle of Gutenfels which towers over the landscape, was built in 1220. Along with Pfalzgrafenstein and the fortified town on Kaub on the opposite bank, it formed part of the toll barrier.
This on-the-spot sketch dates from his Rhine tour in the summer of 1834
Sold Watercolour over pencil heightened with bodycolour
22.6 by 33.2 cm., 9 by 13 ¼ in.
Provenance:
With James King, Liverpool
Engraved:
By William Finden as a steel engraving for `Ports, Harbours, Watering Places and Coast Scenery of Great Britain', 1842, vol. I, opp. p.133
Finden describes this view as follows (op. cit.): `The view of Plymouth is taken from the grounds of Mount Edgecumbe, looking across the lower part of the Sound. About the middle distance is St. Nicholas’ Island; beyond which are perceived the ramparts of the citadel. Between the citadel and the point of land to the right, where several small vessels are seen, is the entrance of the creek called the Catwater.’
Sold
black chalk heightened with white on grey paper
12.7 by 17.8cm., 5 by 7 inches
This is a preliminary sketch for an engraving by Harding based on an on-the-spot sketch by Count Leon de Laborde for Edward Finden?s Landscape illustrations of the Bible, published 1832-35. Turner produced twenty-eight illustrations for the same publication.
Provenance:
Clarissa Sophia Harding, 1843
Sold pencil, black chalk and watercolour on blue paper
17.8 by 12.2cm., 7 by 4 3/4 inches
Provenance:
Clarissa Sophia Harding, 1843
Harding first visited
Sold Watercolour over pencil heightened with bodycolour
360 x 516 mm., 14 x 20 ¼ in.
Exhibited:
Probably London, Society of Painters in Water-colours, 1841, no.121
Sold With artist's studio stamp lower right and inscribed: Hampstead Fields/march 6th 1857 -
Black chalk and stump
24.7 by 35 cm., 9 ¾ by 13 ¾ in.
Provenance:
Prince Donatus of Hohenzollern
Literature:
The Heath and Hampstead Society Newsletter, September 2006, vol. 37, no.3
In the mid nineteenth century, Hampstead Heath was significantly smaller than it is today and was confined to the area immediately to the west of Hampstead. Parliament Hill was added in 1888 and the Kenwood Estate in the 1920s. Between 1831 and 1871 local residents fought a long legal battle with Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson, the owner of the heath who wanted to build houses on it. It was finally saved for the nation in 1871.
