British Masterpiece Low Fell, From Lanthwaite Hill Original Pen-and-Ink Landscape Drawing Lake District, Cumbria Signed by Alfred Wainwright

Details

Description

British Masterpiece Low Fell, from Lanthwaite Hill
Original pen-and-ink landscape drawing | Lake District, Cumbria | Signed by Alfred Wainwright … Read more British Masterpiece Low Fell, from Lanthwaite Hill
Original pen-and-ink landscape drawing | Lake District, Cumbria | Signed by Alfred Wainwright (1907–1991)
────────────────────────────────────────
Subject & medium
A beautifully observed Lake District view of Low Fell (Cumbria), drawn from near the summit of Lanthwaite Hill—an especially characteristic Wainwright vantage that balances pastoral field geometry with the fell’s distinctive mass and ridge line. Executed in pen and ink on paper, the work sits squarely within the medium and visual language most closely associated with Wainwright’s best-known Lakeland output.
────────────────────────────────────────
Composition & technique
This is a refined example of Wainwright’s draughtsmanship: precise, economical, and richly descriptive without becoming overworked. Tonal depth is achieved entirely through line density, direction, and layered hatching rather than wash, creating a crisp, timeless clarity.
In the foreground, darker, more emphatic marks anchor woodland and scrub. The mid-ground opens into a measured patchwork of fields and boundaries that reads almost cartographically, guiding the eye toward the fell. The mass of Low Fell is constructed through controlled cross-hatching and contour-led linework that conveys slope, texture, and distance with notable efficiency. Above, the sky is handled with restrained strokes that suggest movement without competing with the land. As is typical of Wainwright, the absence of figures heightens the work’s quiet, contemplative mood.
────────────────────────────────────────
Historical significance
The composition is documented as “Drawing 231: Low Fell, from Lanthwaite Hill” and is recorded as forming the title page for the Low Fell chapter in The Western Fells. The Western Fells (Book Seven of A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells) was first published in 1966, and Wainwright’s guides are reproduced from his hand-produced pen-and-ink manuscript pages.
Date rationale (mid-1960s): because this view is tied to the Low Fell chapter/title-page usage in The Western Fells (published 1966), the most defensible working date for an original, guide-era drawing of this composition is mid-1960s, prior to publication—approximately c. 1964–1966.
────────────────────────────────────────
About the artist
Alfred Wainwright MBE (1907–1991) is among Britain’s most celebrated fell-writers and landscape draughtsmen. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells—created as fully handwritten and hand-illustrated manuscript pages—became a definitive cultural document of Lakeland walking and remains highly collected. Original Wainwright works have demonstrated strong market demand at auction.
────────────────────────────────────────
Signed
Signed in pencil “A Wainwright” lower right, and titled “LOW FELL” lower left.
────────────────────────────────────────
Framed
Mounted with a recent white border mat for a clean, gallery-style presentation.
Framed in a Larson Juhl baroque-style black lacquered Radiata Pine moulding.
Protected by AR70 museum-grade glass, offering excellent clarity and UV protection.
────────────────────────────────────────
Size
Framed dimensions: 47.2 cm (H) × 52 cm (W) × 5.5 cm (D)
────────────────────────────────────────
Provenance
Private collection, Cumbria. Acquired from a private Cumbrian collection and subsequently sourced via a notable Cumbrian auction house/long-established saleroom; accompanied by a Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd label verso.
Literature linkage: documented as Drawing 231: “Low Fell, from Lanthwaite Hill,” recorded as forming the title page of the Low Fell chapter in The Western Fells (published 1966), supporting the mid-1960s dating framework.

────────────────────────────────────────
Why you’ll love it
A rare opportunity to acquire an original Wainwright pen-and-ink landscape with strong Lake District identity and immediate visual authority. The monochrome palette is timeless and interior-friendly, while the disciplined linework rewards close viewing. The subject and documentation connect the composition to Wainwright’s mid-1960s Pictorial Guide era, making it particularly appealing to collectors of British topographical art, Lakeland history, and Wainwright enthusiasts. Presented in museum-grade glazing and a premium moulding, it arrives ready to display.
────────────────────────────────────────
Condition report
Artwork presents in fine used condition. Light, age-appropriate foxing may be present, consistent with an older paper sheet. Frame in very good condition with minor natural imperfections consistent with artisanal finishing.
──────────────────────────────────────── See less