Ludlow Castle from Whitcliffe, Shropshire

Julius Caesar Ibbetson 1759 - 1817

Summary

Sunlit landscape scene of Ludlow Castle, viewed from Whitcliffe in Shropshire. A mountainous slope is visible in the left foreground, at the foot of which runs a river from the bottom right corner towards the centre of the composition. At its widest point, the river is crossed by an arched bridge, upon which the figures of a horseman and a pedestrian can be seen. On the right side of the river bank, there is a hamlet of cottages with red chimneys, and further to the right, the mound upon which Ludlow Castle stands and its surrounding walls. A valley, lined with fields and trees recedes into the distance with hills on the horizon. The sky is grey and cloud covered.

Display Label

Gallery text panel Face and Place Portraiture and Landscape in the 18th Century A dramatic growth in Britain's wealth during the 1700s brought about an increased demand for art and design. Hundreds of grand houses were built or improved and many were filled with impressive private collections. The prominent display of paintings and decorative arts demonstrated their owners' status and taste. Portraiture became particularly fashionable, leading to rising numbers of 'face painters' and to an increase in the quality of their work. The ability to capture a likeness was most important but artists could also enhance a sitter's image with qualities such as prestige, wisdom or power. New public exhibitions gave artists a shop window and the Royal Academy, founded in 1768, organised the most important annual show. Amid this developing climate of enthusiasm for art, landscape painting also began its remarkable evolution. Landscape arose from a need to accurately record views and was first thought to be of little artistic merit. But as painters grew in confidence during the later 1700s it was treated with more creativity and seriousness, establishing a distinctive tradition in British art.