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The image is a pencil sketch showing a coastal scene. The horizon line is visible with hills or cliffs meeting the sky. In the distance, there is a ship with outlined sails. The sketch uses light pencil strokes, creating an unfinished look. The color palette is primarily monochrome with gray tones on beige paper. Closest to us on the right side, there are detailed lines indicating another vessel or structure, with smaller shapes suggesting coastal elements like rocks or debris.
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The image is a pencil sketch showing a coastal scene. The horizon line is visible with hills or cliffs meeting the sky. In the distance, there is a ship with outlined sails. The sketch uses light pencil strokes, creating an unfinished look. The color palette is primarily monochrome with gray tones on beige paper. Closest to us on the right side, there are detailed lines indicating another vessel or structure, with smaller shapes suggesting coastal elements like rocks or debris.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

A Dry Dock

John Sell Cotman

Date
first half 19th century
Medium
graphite
Dimensions
overall (approximate): 15.5 x 22.9 cm (6 1/8 x 9 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1951.16.191
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1776 to 1800
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • British
  • topographical
  • landscape
  • Harbor
Provenance

James Bulwer (1794-1879), Norwich, England; by descent through the Bulwer family to Henry Bulwer (born 1854), Vancouver, Canada; Zeitlin & Ver Brugge Booksellers, Los Angeles; Lessing J. Rosenwald; gift to NGA, 1951.

NGA object ID 41507. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.