Fleugatt near Brussels

Robert Hills (1769-1844)
Fleugatt near Brussels

Inscribed lower left: Fleugatt and inscribed with artist's shorthand lower right, with collector's mark verso
Watercolour over pencil
15.9 by 24.4 cm., 6 1/4 by 9 1/2 in.

Provenance:
Bruce Ingram;
With Thos. Agnew & Sons Ltd (no. 31776)

This drawing dates from Hills's tour of Flanders and Holland in 1816. He published an illustrated account of his trip in `Sketches in Flanders and Holland with some account of a Tour through parts of these Countries shortly after the Battle of Waterloo in a Series of Letters to a Friend'. Letter V begins ` Fleugatt is a little village on the borders of the Soignies Forest, and about three miles from Brussels. There is nothing remarkable either in its beauties or history, but in passing through it to Waterloo, I had been tempted by a group of houses, and a windmill, to fancy that they might repay the trouble of a walk thither on the following day; and though these disappointed me on a second view, i experienced civilities there' (op. cit. p.69).

The village Fleugatt no longer exists? but would have been south-south-east of Brussels on the road to Waterloo.