J M W Turner, View of Hythe, Kent (1824)
A framed and glazed hand-coloured engraving from 1826
Author
Publisher
Printing Details
A beautifully preserved 1824 engraving of Hythe, Kent, hand-coloured in a sophisticated palette of ochres, soft greens, and maritime blues. This plate, engraved by the renowned George Cooke, was part of Turner’s landmark series Picturesque Views of the Southern Coast of England (1826), a project that cemented his reputation as the premier chronicler of the British landscape.
The frame measures 38 × 30cm, and the image (to the mount's edges) is 26 × 18cm. The frame is plain medium-coloured wood, and the mount has a hand-drawn double margin.
Turner captures Hythe not merely as a landscape, but as a living historical document. From a vantage point on the Ashford Road, the eye is led past a foregrounded defensive cannon—a reminder of the Napoleonic anxieties of the era—toward the bustling military barracks and parade ground below. In the mid-distance, the ancient Church of St Leonard stands sentinel over the town, while the English Channel stretches toward a horizon punctuated by the faint silhouettes of sails.
Condition
The engraving is in very good condition. It exhibits a gentle, authentic tanning to the edges consistent with its age and a single, minor 3mm foxing spot near the center, which serves as a testament to its 200-year history.
Books are currently zero-rated for duty (as of April 2026), so the price shown is the price you pay.
Price
£40.00
