A list of Welsh drawings, 1795

Name of traveller

Johannes Baptist Malscher (1770-1812)

Reason for travel

• landscape drawing

Date of travel

26 July to 21 August 1795

August 8. Part of Barmouth near the harbour, here we had a great crowd of Spectators, men women and children chattering welsh like so many monkeys, the sea sand whirled over the houses, quite coverd [sic] our paper. (Malchair 3 verso)

Content

• architecture: interested in drawing castles, churches, ruins and bridges
• art:
  • production of landscape drawings in ink and pencil during the journey
  • lists dates, locations and content of the drawings produced during the journey
  • refers to the landscape paintings of Salvator Rosa (1615-1673) in describing the colour palette of mountainous Welsh landscapes
• customs: displeased at witnessing a "Jumpers" service at Barmouth
• language:
  • English proficiency in Wales is even rarer than people speaking French in England
  • compares Welsh to the chattering of monkeys
• people:
  • ragged and rough appearance of the Welsh peasantry
  • local people watch him draw
• terrain:
  • interested in rural settings
  • rocky coastline of west Wales; rough, rugged mountains
  • draws during bouts of rain
  • frequent references to the weather, its effect on the light and conditions for drawing in the open air

Nationality of traveller

German

Language of publication

English

Gender of traveller

Male

Type of publication

list of drawings

Citation

[Malscher, Johannes Baptist] Malchair, John. A list of Welsh drawings, 1795. 1795. NLW MS 24017D. Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. MS.