Between 1799 and 1814, the artist and architect John Buckler produced a series of views of English cathedrals and churches, including this example. In 1849, two years before his death, Buckler explained that because of his great love of perspective drawing: ‘I never made any effort to increase the number of my employments as an architect.’

John Buckler was born on the Isle of Wight. In 1785 he became a steward of Magdalen College, Oxford. For seven years he was also apprenticed to architect and surveyor Charles Thomas Cracklow. In about 1801 he became Bailiff and Collector of Rents for Magdalen College in Freemason’s Court and Southwark. His post with Magdalen allowed him spare time, which he spent working on his own architectural perspective drawings. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1796 to 1849. In 1799, Buckler published an engraving of one of his drawings of Lincoln Cathedral. For the next five years he made a series of views of English cathedrals and churches. By the end of his career, he had produced some 13,000 architectural perspective drawings.

Places

England, Chichester, Chichester Cathedral, Sussex, West Sussex

Subjects

topography, woman, girl, basket, gravestone, coat of arms, churchyard, church, cathedral, church windows

Materials & Techniques

aquatint, coloured aquatint

Artist

Frederick Christian Lewis (1779 - 1856)
John Buckler (1770 - 1851)

Title

North East View of the Cathedral Church of Chichester

Date

published January 1804

Medium

Coloured aquatint

Acquisition

Purchased from Christie's, 20 February 1958

Provenance

Sold through Christie's, London, on 20 February 1958 (Lot 1); from which sale purchased by the Ministy of Works

GAC number

4555