The South West Prospect of Shrewsbury

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

In this 18th-century view, the town of Shrewsbury is busy with activity. In the foreground a shepherd lounges on the riverbank with his dog and three cattle. The town of Shrewsbury is seen from a distance, with the River Severn looping around it.

In 1728 brothers Samuel and Nathaniel Buck commenced a project: to record views or ‘prospects’ of each of the principal towns and cities of England and Wales. Each prospect was drawn at a rural spot, some distance from the town itself and, when possible, from a height. When these were later published, a numbered key and an accompanying, descriptive text were included below the image.

Brothers Samuel and Nathaniel Buck made their names as leading British topographical draughtsmen of the 18th century. Over a period of 34 years, the Bucks produced several hundred drawings and engravings, including 87 engraved prospects of England and Wales. These are now important visual records of the appearance of British urban landscapes prior to the changes that occurred during the Industrial Revolution. In some cases, the places depicted have since disappeared or changed beyond recognition.

Places

Subjects

cowherd, topography, townscape/cityscape, cow, river, hill, coat of arms, field, bridge (urban), church, spire, sailboat

Materials & Techniques

engraving, coloured engraving

Artist

Samuel and Nathaniel Buck (1696 - 1779)

Title

The South West Prospect of Shrewsbury

Date

1732

Medium

Coloured engraving

Dimensions

height: 46.30 cm, width: 88.30 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from the Parker Gallery, May 1964

GAC number

6465