Landscape in North Wales by John Varley

Description

Golden fields by John Varley (British, 1778-1842). Indistinct signature lower left. Unframed. Image size, 5"H x 8"W. Unframed. With a … more Golden fields by John Varley (British, 1778-1842). Indistinct signature lower left. Unframed. Image size, 5"H x 8"W. Unframed. With a letter from Jacob (Jack) Isaacs, 1896-1973 notating a John Varley watercolor circa 1800. Jacob Isaacs was born in 1896. He was educated at the Grocers' Company's School, Hackney Downs. Isaacs began his career in the civil service from 1912-1916. During the First World War he was involved in active service in France and held the rank of lieutenant (Territorial Army)as part of the Royal Garrison Artillery from 1916-1918. In 1919 Isaacs began his academic career by studying at Exeter College, Oxford, where he achieved a 1st Class Honours degree in English. From 1921-1924 he was an assistant lecturer in English at the University College of North Wales, Bangor and was later an assistant lecturer in English at King's College, University of London, 1924-1928. He progressed up to the position of lecturer in English from 1928-1942 and the moved to a position in Palestine as first Montefiore Professor of English in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem from 1942-1945. Isaacs returned to England in 1945 and was Chair of English Language and Literature at Queen Mary College, University of London from 1952-1964. In 1964 Isaacs retired from his position as Chair of English Language and was appointed Professor Emeritus. John Varley (17 August 1778 - 17 November 1842) was an English watercolour painter and astrologer, and a close friend of William Blake. They collaborated in 1819-1820 on the book Visionary Heads, illustrated by Blake and written by Varley, who was the elder brother of Cornelius Varley. John Varley was born at the Old Blue Post Tavern, Hackney, on 17 August 1778. His father, Richard Varley, born at Epworth in Lincolnshire, had settled in London after the death of his first wife in Yorkshire. For a brief time John Varley was employed by a portrait painter in Holborn and then, at the age of 15 or 16, he became a pupil of Joseph Charles Barrow (fl. 1789-1802), who had an evening drawing school twice a week at 12 Furnival's Inn Court, Holborn. It was Barrow who took Varley on a sketching tour to Peterborough from which he emerged as a professional painter. In 1798 he exhibited a highly regarded sketch of Peterborough Cathedral at the Royal Academy of Arts, London and became a regular exhibitor at the RA until the foundation of the Old Watercolour Society in 1805. As one of the founders of the OWS Varley exhibited largely there, over 700 drawings. He also became a highly successful drawing master with pupils including Copley Fielding, David Cox, John Linnell and Turner of Oxford. Despite his success he was constantly in financial difficulties, "since he was both a hopeless businessman and by temperament something of a Micawber". (Mallalieu). Varley was particularly skilled at the laying of flat washes of watercolour, which suited the placid, contemplative mood that he often sought to evoke. less