London – British Museum (Norwich Cathedral by John Sell Cotman)

I usually visit the British Museum three or four times a year, something which is a little difficult to do with the current virus situation, primarily because it’s shut. However, they’ve placed hundreds of thousands of images on their web-site, so this will have to do me for the moment. The images can be used non-commercially, as long as the British Museum is credited. So, this is their credit.

The British Museum purchased this sketch by John Sell Cotman from the collector James Reeve (1833-1920) in 1902 although it’s not currently on display. Reeve had purchased it in 1862 when a collection of Cotman works were sold at the Bazaar Rooms in Norwich.

That’s a photo from pretty much the same spot today. The British Museum refer to this as a drawing of Norwich Castle, although I’m not convinced, that’s definitely Norwich Cathedral. Cotman lived near here for a while, on St. Martin’s Plain, which is at the end of Bishopgate. I like the idea that artists have been sitting in this spot by the river for centuries painting the Cathedral, and that the fields (now part of Norwich School) are still there.