Dated Watercolours

• The West Front of Peterborough Cathedral (TG1018)
• The West Front of Lichfield Cathedral (TG1002)
• Lincoln Cathedral, from the West (TG1008)
• Harrow-on-the-Hill (TG0187)
• Duff House, from the River (TG0184)
• Bamburgh Castle, from the South (TG0183)

Dated Sketches

• A Cloud Study (TG0186)
• An Unidentified Landscape, Known as ‘The Pool’ (TG1377)
• Jedburgh Abbey, from the Riverbank (TG0188)

15 March 1794

Dr Thomas Monro (1759–1833) takes up a tenancy at 8 Royal Terrace, Adelphi (third house from the west end of the terrace). John Henderson (1764–1843) lived nearby at 4 Royal Terrace from 1790 to 1797. He was trained in the law but never practised.

27 March 1794

Mr. Greenwood, A Genuine and Valuable Collection of Drawings … the Property of a Gentleman Leaving Off Collecting, 27 March 1794

Includes works by Thomas Girtin:

• 62 – ‘Eight views from nature’
• 63 – ‘Four ditto of castles’
• 64 – ‘Three ditto, in Monmouthshire’
• 65 – ‘One, Ludlow Castle’

April–July 1794

Royal Academy of Arts, London, The Exhibition of the Royal Academy, M,DCC,XCIV: The Twenty-Sixth

Thomas Girtin’s address is given as ‘No.2, St. Martin’s le Grand’. His exhibit is listed as:

Antique Academy

• 346 – ‘View of Ely Minster’ (TG0202)

Girtin’s great contemporary Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) had, in contrast, been exhibiting his work at the Academy since 1791 and in 1794 sent five watercolours:

• 333 – ‘Second fall of the river Monach, Devil’s Bridge, Cardiganshire’
• 336 – ‘Porch of Great Malvern Abbey, Worcestershire’
• 388 – ‘Christ Church Gate, Canterbury’
• 402 – ‘Inside of Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire’
• 408 – ‘St. Anselm’s chapel, with part of Thomas-a-Becket’s crown, Canterbury Cathedral’

9–10 July 1794

Messrs. Greenwood, A Catalogue of all the Drawings, Studies, Sketches, Prints, Capital Books of Prints, Eighty-Two Valuable Copper Plates of His Esteemed Publications: A Small, but Excellent Library; Of the Ingenious Mr. Cozens, Landscape Painter, 9–10 July 1794 (1794 – Item 1)

The sketches and tracings sold here will form the basis of the copies produced by Girtin and Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) at the home of Dr Thomas Monro (1759–1833).

9 July 1794

‘Studies and Sketches’

• 51 – ‘A large parcel, various’
• 52 – ‘Ditto, ditto’
• 53 – ‘Ditto, ditto’
• 54 – ‘Ditto, ditto’
• 55 – ‘Ditto, ditto’
• 56 – ‘Ditto, ditto’
• 57 – ‘A number of capital studies, and impressions of the plates, pertaining to the Principles of Beauty’
• 58 – ‘Ditto’
• 59 – ‘Ditto’
• 60 – ‘Ditto’
• 61 – ‘A suite of studies from nature, with the names’
• 62 – ‘Ditto, ditto, of trees’
• 63 – ‘Twenty studies, in oil colours’
• 64 – ‘Twenty-four ditto, ditto’
• 65 – ‘Forty ditto, a pleasing series from nature’

‘Drawings’

• 66 – ‘Twenty-four stained landscapes’
• 67 – ‘Twenty-two ditto’
• 68 – ‘Twelve ditto’
• 69 – ‘Ten ditto’
• 70 – ‘Fifteen views, and landscapes’
• 71 – ‘Fourteen ditto’
• 72 – ‘Fifteen ditto’
• 73 – ‘Fourteen ditto’
• 74 – ‘Seventy-Seven ditto’
• 75 – ‘Sixteen ditto, with the pen’
• 76 – ‘Fourteen ditto, ditto’
• 77 – ‘Twelve various views and landscapes’
• 78 – ‘Eleven landscapes, in colours’
• 79 – ‘Ten ditto, ditto’
• 80 – ‘Eight large drawings’

10 July 1794

‘Studies and Sketches’

• 17 – ‘A large parcel’. Sold for 2s
• 18 – ‘A large parcel’. Sold for 4s
• 19 – ‘A large parcel’. Sold for 1s 6d
• 20 – ‘A large parcel’. Sold for 4s
• 21 – ‘A large parcel’. Sold for 4s 6d
• 22 – ‘A large parcel’. Sold for 7s
• 23 – ‘A large parcel’. Sold for 1s
• 24 – ‘A large parcel’. Sold for 2s 6d
• 29 – ‘A large parcel of studies’. Sold for 3s 6d
• 30 – ‘A large parcel of studies’. Sold for 2s
• 31 – ‘A large parcel of studies’. Sold for 1s
• 32 – ‘A large parcel of studies’. Sold for 3s
• 33 – ‘A large parcel of studies’. Sold for 3s 6d
• 34 – ‘A large parcel of studies’
• 40 – ‘A number of excellent studies, on oil paper’. Sold for 2s 6d
• 41 – ‘Ditto, Ditto’. Sold for 2s 6d
• 42 – ‘Ditto, Ditto’. Sold for 2s 6d
• 43 – ‘Ditto, Ditto’. Sold for 1s 6d
• 44 – ‘Ditto, Ditto’. Sold for 1s
• 45 – ‘Ditto, Ditto’. Sold for 1s
• 46 – ‘Eight fine stained drawings’. Sold for 3s
• 47 – ‘Six capital ditto’. Sold for 5s 6d
• 48 – ‘Six ditto ditto’. Sold for 17s 6d
• 49 – ‘Five ditto, views in Rome’. Sold for 8s
• 50 – ‘Three ditto, ditto’. Sold for 17s
• 51 – ‘Five books of Sketches’. Sold for 12s
• 52 – ‘Twelve ditto ditto’. Sold for 3s 6d
• 53 – ‘Ten ditto ditto’. Sold for 3s 6d

‘Valuable Copper Plates’

• 83 – ‘Eight small landscapes’
• 84 – ‘Twelve small outlines of landscapes, and 12 books of ditto’

Summer 1794

Girtin tours the Midland counties with James Moore (1762–99), possibly visiting Lincoln, Crowland, Boston, Peterborough, Lichfield, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, Kenilworth and Southwell. Evidence comes from dated and exhibited finished watercolours, such as Lincoln Cathedral, from the West (TG1008), and the text accompanying the engraving in Bartholomew Howlett’s A Selection of Views in the County of Lincoln (Howlett, 1805, see print after TG1008). ‘This and the former view’, it notes, ‘are contributed by the proprietor of the Drawings, James Moore, Esq. F. S. A., who visited this Cathedral in the year 1794, accompanied by Mr. Girtin’.

1 November 1794

The Queen’s House (see print after TG0034) is published in Charles Taylor’s (1756–1823) publication The Temple of Taste (Taylor, 1794–96).

1 December 1794

East Front of St. Paul’s Covent Garden (see print after TG0036) is published in Charles Taylor’s (1756–1823) publication The Temple of Taste (Taylor, 1794–96).

30 December 1794

Kenneth Garlick and others, eds., The Diary of Joseph Farington (Farington, Diary, 30 December 1794)

Joseph Farington (1747–1821) records that:

Steer says Dr Monro’s house is like an Academy in an evening. He has young men employed in tracing outlines made by his friends etc. – Henderson, Hearne etc lend him their outlines for this purpose.