George Samuel (active 1785–1823), a topographical watercolourist, was along with Thomas Girtin one of five professionals who made up the Sketching Society, which, initially at least, was known as ‘the Brothers’. He attended ten of the Society’s meetings held in the latter months of 1799, most notably on 28 September, when he chose a passage for illustration describing a frozen watermill from The Task by William Cowper (1731–1800) (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). The only complete set of Sketching Society subjects includes watercolours by Girtin (TG1501) and Paul Sandby Munn (1773–1845) (see TG1501 figure 2), a comic take on the subject by Robert Ker Porter (1777–1842) (see TG1501 figure 3) and a drawing by Samuel himself (see TG1501 figure 1). Samuel subscribed to Girtin’s set of aquatints, the Picturesque Views in Paris (Chancery, Income and Expenses, 1804), and they reappeared in his posthumous sale (Exhibitions: Sotheby’s, 28 May 1823, lot 259). A list of subscribers is included in John Girtin’s account of the income he received from the publication, together with the expenses incurred in completing the project. They are transcribed in the Documents section of the Archive (1804 – Item 1). Samuel’s own work as a watercolourist has been little studied, but it latterly appears to show the influence of Girtin, and this, I suspect, has led to a number of his works being misattributed, including Brougham Castle (see TG1577 fig 1).

1799

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

TG1501

1799

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

TG1501

1799

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

TG1501

1799

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

TG1501

1800 - 1810

A Distant View of a Castle, Said to Be Lowther in Westmorland

TG1577