Paul Sandby Munn (1773–1845) was a fellow member with Girtin of the Sketching Society, founded in May 1799; he was one of five professional artists and three amateurs. In all he attended ten of the meetings, and two of Munn’s drawings, made after poetic passages by William Cowper (1731–1800) (see TG1501 figure 1) and an anonymous source (see TG1502 figure 1), can be identified, illustrating the degree of influence Girtin exerted over his contemporaries (Sketching Society, Minute Book, 28 September 1799). Details of the Society’s Laws, the names of attendees, and excerpts from the selected poems are transcribed in the Documents section of the Archive (1799 – Item 5). A view of Bolton Abbey from the Wharfe (see TG1681 figure 1), which has been identified as a copy by Munn after Girtin’s watercolour A Distant View of Bolton Abbey (TG1681), suggests that he also carefully studied the artist’s less formal works.

Shortly after Girtin’s death Munn wrote a heartfelt appreciation of his work suggesting that ‘To him the present stile of Drawing, is more indebted, than to any other single artist. nor lives there one at present, who can fill up the vacuum he has left. The spirit of poetry & true feeling of Nature, that are infused through every thing he touched, shall stamp the value of his works & be his lasting epitaph’ (Documents section of the Archive, 4 December 1802).

1799

The Frozen Watermill, from William Cowper’s ‘The Task’

TG1501

1799 - 1800

An Ancient Castle

TG1502

1800 - 1801

A Distant View of Bolton Abbey

TG1681

1800 - 1801

A Distant View of Bolton Abbey

TG1681