John White Abbott, Moses Striking the Rock After Poussin, 1805, Ink Drawing

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An original c.1805 pen & ink drawing, John White Abbott, Moses Striking the Rock after Nicolas Poussin.A remarkably precise ink … Read more An original c.1805 pen & ink drawing, John White Abbott, Moses Striking the Rock after Nicolas Poussin.A remarkably precise ink drawing by John White Abbott (1763–1851) in reverse after Nicolas Poussin's Moses Striking the Rock (c.1635).This drawing is one a series of linear ink studies by John White Abbott after the Old Masters. Although overwhelming a landscape artist, Abbott is known to have studied Old Master prints, and his figures and animals in his landscape compositions are usually classical in nature rather than freely observed. These ink studies are evidence of Abbott's connoisseurship and his status as a gentleman amateur rather than a professional landscapist.For an example of 'Old Master' animals in a landscape by Abbott, see British Museum no. 1880,0313.22. For a further example of a drawing after an Old Master print see BM 1860,0211.347. An example of an Italianate landscape oil with figures can seen at the Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection no. B1976.7.1, as well as a Classical Composition after Annibale Carracci, no. B2013.5.Ink with traces of graphite underdrawing, on thin wove paper laid down on original backing paper. Numbered '4' in the series on backing paper.Provenance: Sotheby’s sale 21 March 2002.All artworks come with a Certificate of Authenticity and—if it is a collection artwork—its accompanying collection text or artist biography. Signed: Initialled lower right. Inscribed: Inscribed lower right. Height: 15.9cm (6.3″) Width: 22.5cm (8.9″) Condition: In good condition for its age.Some age toning to the backing paper as shown. Please see photos for detail. Presented: Unframed. See less