Sandpaper Picture: Castle

DateProbably 1835-1865

MediumCharcoal and chalk on sandpaper

DimensionsPrimary support: 9 1/8 x 11 1/2in. (23.2 x 29.2cm) and Framed: 12 1/8 x 14 5/8in.

Credit LineGift of Beatrix T. Rumford

Object number1984.202.1

DescriptionA monochromatic sandpaper drawing showing an apparently deserted castle situated on a spit of land projecting into a body of water with two boats on it, a tower or cliff at the left.

Artist unidentified.

Period replacement 13/16-inch gilded cyma recta frame, later covered with gold paint.
Label TextDrawing on homemade or commercially prepared sandpaper, or emery paper, was a favored pastime for the leisured class of the Victorian era. The rough paper surface hastened the application of charcoal or, less frequently, colored pastels, and the sand particles' reflective quality added sparkle to the composition. Subjects were often copied from instruction-book or drawing-card illustrations, and castle ruins were popular expressions of the romantic mood of the times. One other sandpaper drawing that is similarly composed has been noted in the Folk Art Center's files [note 1].
ProvenanceFound at an unidentified antiques dealer's in Canajoharie, NY, in 1964 and given to AARFAC by Miss Beatrix T. Rumford of Williamsburg, Va.