Completed British 19th C, except portraits, North West England: Artists and Subjects, Wales: Artists and Subjects 14 Is this 'Landscape, Glan Conwy'? Can you pinpoint its exact location?

NTV_HAP_12
Topic: Execution date

Could this be 'Landscape, Glan Conwy' exhibited by Hague as no. 330 at the Royal Academy in 1880? Can anyone pinpoint its exact location? Presumably on the east side of the estuary looking towards Snowdonia, with the town of Conway out of sight to the right?

Hartlepool Museums and Heritage Service holds the following details on this painting: it was displayed at the Manchester Academy of Fine Art in 1880, Walker Art Gallery in 1902, Manchester City Art Gallery in 1908, and was listed in the 1919 memorial exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery. Shortly after this, it came into the ownership of Hartlepool Art Gallery's founder, William Gray.

Any further information would be welcome.

Martin Hopkinson, Entry reviewed by Art UK

Completed, Outcome

This discussion is now closed. Topographical research confirms the location depicted as the river Conwy looking south-west towards Snowdonia, in the vicinity of Glan Conwy. We cannot be sure that it was the 'Landscape: Glan Conway' that Joshua Anderson Hague exhibited at the RA in 1880 (no. 320). However its exhibition in Manchester in autumn 1880 suggests that it may well have been and it has been dated ‘1880 or before’.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the discussion. To anyone viewing this discussion for the first time, please see below for all the comments that led to this conclusion.

13 comments

Cliff Thornton,

The image included by Andrew can be seen at full size at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bmott/9741237691
This image is taken from the station at Glan Conwy, looking south.
It suggests that the cottage featured in the work, was situated in the town of Glan Conwy, which was quite small c.1880. At first sight the cottage appears to be almost on the shore line, but the artist needed a more elevated position to show the river sweeping round beyond the headland, and to avoid including the railway line which ran around the shore in 1880. A contemporary map of the town can be seen by zooming in on the following link
http://maps.nls.uk/view/102341153

Sibyl Ruth,

Either SH 8001 7568, Glan y Mor cottages or possibly SH 7939 7525; looking south up the Conwy river towards Henryd. Glan y Mor is more likely for several reasons, one being that anyone walking south along the Llanrwst Road would realise that it was curving inland and that this would be the last chance to sketch the river for a while. The railway line (early 1860s) is not shown.

Sibyl Ruth,

I should add that that it is my friend David Gwyn, who has provided the above bit of wisdom...

Martin Hopkinson,

Glan Conway was no 433 at the Liverpool Autumn Exhibition in 1880 priced at £100

Topographical research confirms the location depicted as the river Conwy looking towards Snowdonia, painted in the vicinity of Glan Conwy. Sibyl Ruth may well be correct that it was from slightly south of the village itself. We cannot confirm if it was the actual painting 'Landscape, Glan Conwy' exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1880, although the date of its exhibition in Manchester suggests it may have been.

Andrew, apologies for the long delay. I have asked the Collection to comment on your Group Leader recommendation so that we can close this discussion. David

Jacob Simon,

What does Art UK do when the collection does not respond? Worth trying again sixteen months later?

Martin Hopkinson,

It is certainly that Museums, on whose behalf vounteers have done successful research to extend knowledge of works of art in their collections, fail to respond when the results are presented to them . May be Hartlepool no longer has a curator interested in works of art in its collection, but surely it has a Director who is able to step in to complete the discussion?

Thanks, Marcie, for the corrections. I'll try again.

Topographical research confirms the location depicted as the river Conwy looking south-west towards Snowdonia, painted in the vicinity of Glan Conwy. Sibyl Ruth may well be correct that it was from slightly south of the village itself. We cannot confirm if it was the actual painting 'Landscape: Glan Conway' that Joshua Anderson Hague exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1880 (no. 320). However its exhibition in Manchester in autumn 1880 suggests that it may well have been.