Lot 202: John Robert Cozens 1752-1799 , Pays de Valais near the lake of Geneva

signed on the mount l.l.: Jn Cozens.; inscribed on an old label attached to the mount verso : The Valley of Sion / Switzerland watercolour over pencil, in original washline mount

49 by 68 cm.; 19 1/4 by 26 3/4 in.

Manchester, Whitworth Art Gallery, Watercolours Drawings by J.R. Cozens and J.S. Cotman , 1937, no. 86;
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Laing Art Gallery, Coronation Exhibition , 1953, no. 28

C.F. Bell & T. Girtin, 'The Drawings and Sketches of John Robert Cozens,' Walpole Society, vol. XXIII, 1935, no. 12 ii;
Francis Hawcroft, Watercolours by John Robert Cozens, 1971, p. 13, no. 2

Probably Sir Frederick Eden;
by descent to Mrs Deverell;
Probably Sir William Eden;
N.D. Newall, his sale Christie's London, 13 December 1979, lot 23 (£35,000)

In the present work John Robert Cozens depicts the Pays de Valais region of Switzerland. To the left of the composition; three mounted travellers can be seen close to a group of buildings and fir trees, while to the right the steep mountains of the Alps dominate that side of the composition. In between these two points of reference the landscape opens up to reveal the fertile river valley below. This watercolour is based upon a sketch dated August 30th 1776, part of a volume entitled '28 sketches by J. Cozens of Views in Italy' (Soane Museum). The Soane Museum study is inscribed 'Pas de Vallais' and dates from Cozens' first journey abroad when he accompanied Richard Payne Knight. A second study is a pen and ink and wash drawing in the Lupton collection, Leeds City Art Gallery (13.88 / 53), which is inscribed 'Pais de Vallais / near the Lake of Geneva.'

The present watercolour is the largest and the only signed example. On the reverse of the sketch in the Soane Museum are the names of eight patrons, who presumably ordered versions of this subject; Sir Frederick Eden was one of these names. A label previously attached to the reverse of this watercolour reads: 'Cozens or Payne / Belonged to my father / Given me by Mrs Deverell.' A watercolour also previously in the collection of N.D. Newall (Newall sale lot 25) was inscribed on a label in the same hand as belonging to Mrs Deverell and signed by William Eden. It was acquired by N.D. Newall at the same time and from the same source as the present drawing. It seems likely that William Eden was a descendant of Sir Frederick Eden, who commissioned this watercolour from the artist.