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Print, oval sepia tinted aquatint, Ulleswater or
Ullswater, Westmorland and Cumberland, by William Gilpin,
1772-74, published by T Cadell and W Davies, Strand, London,
1786.
Included in vol.2 opposite p.53 in Observations, Relative
Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, made in the year 1772.
The list of plates in the preface of the book has:-
'XVIII. This print illustrates that kind of scenery, which
is presented by Ulleswater. It is, by no means, a portrait:
but it gives some idea of the view towards Patterdale, in
which the rocky promontory on the left, and the two woody
promontories on the right, are conspicuous features. Page
55.'
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The text pp.54-57 has:-
'... The foreground of the grand view before us, is a part
of Gobray-park, which belongs to the duke of Norfolk: rough,
broken, and woody. Among the old oaks, which inriched it,
herds of deer, and cattle grazed in groups. Beyond this is
spread an extensive reach of the lake, winding round a rocky
promontory on the left; which is the point of a mountain,
called Martindale-fell, or Place-fell: the southern boundary
of the lake. This promontory uniting with the mountain, lets
it easily down into the water, as by a step. An hesitation,
if I may so call it, of this kind, eases greatly the
heaviness of a line. In a distance, it is of less
consequence: but in all the nearer grounds, it is necessary.
...
'Martindale-fell is entirely unplanted; but it's line, and
surface are both well varied. Numberless breaks (little
vallies, and knolls) give it a lightness, without injuring
it's simplicity.
'Such was the disposition of the objects, on the left of the
lake: on the right, two woody promontories, pursuing each
other in perspective, made a beautiful contrast with the
smooth continuity of Martindale-fell.
'In front, the distance was composed of mountains, falling
gently into the lake; near the edge of which lies the
village of Patterdale.
'We took this view at a point, which had just so much
elevation, as to give variety to the lines of the lake. As
we descended to the water, the view was still grand, and
beautiful, but had lost some of it's more picturesque
beauties: it had lost the foreground: it had lost the
sweeping line round the mountain on the left: and it had
lost the recess between the two woody promontories on the
right. The whole margin of the lake was nearly reduced to
one straight line.- The beauty of a view, especially in
lake-scenery, we have before observed, depends greatly on
the nice position of it's point.
'Having spent some time in examining this very inchanting
scene, we skirted the lake towards Patterdale, on a
tolerable road, which runs from one end of it to the other:
on the south it is continued to Ambleside; on the north to
Penrith. I call it a tolerable road; but I mean only for
horses. It has not the quartering an commodious width of a
carriage road.
'As we left Gobray-park, we took our rout along the margin
of the first of those woody promontories on the right. We
were carried by the side of the lake, through close lanes,
and thick groves: yet not so thick, but that we had every
where, through the openings of the trees, and windings of
the road, views in front, and on the right, into woody
recesses; some of which were very pleasing: and on the left,
the lake, and all it's distant furniture, broke frequently
upon us. ...'
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