The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry
Francis du Pont
5105
Kennett Pike,
302-888-4600 or
800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF THE
COLLECTION
Creator: Clinton, Louisa M.
Title: Drawings
Dates: 1824-1840
Call
No.:
Acc.
No.: 80x237
Quantity: 26 items
Location: 3 B 5
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
A manila folder that accompanied these drawings was marked,
"Louisa M. Clinton Library, granddaughter of Gen. Clinton; her teacher was
the art teacher Victoria." It also
bears the words, "18 Interiors, ca. 1832, Dalkeith and Ardock." Louisa M. Clinton may have been the amateur
artist who created some of these drawings.
There were two English generals named Henry Clinton, father and son, one
active in the American Revolution and the other in the Napoleonic wars. Five of the illustrations, dated 1824, are
identified as "by MMM." A
couple are signed with the initial D.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
The collection consists of twenty sheets of drawings of room interiors
in pencil, pen and ink, and sepia, five miniature watercolor portraits, and one
miniature landscape. The drawings
feature details of furniture and furnishings as well as architectural detail. A particular emphasis was placed on depicting
paintings hanging on the walls. Lighting
equipment, musical instruments, draperies, and other decorative objects are also
depicted. The scenes show Scottish
country homes, including
ORGANIZATION
The
drawings are in accession number order.
LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS
The materials
are in English.
RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS
Collection is
open to the public. Copyright restrictions
may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased
from Charles B. Wood.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Montague family.
Topics:
Art, Amateur.
Dwellings
-
Furniture -
Drawings.
House
furnishings - Drawings.
Interior
decoration.
Interior
walls.
Room layout
(Dwellings)
Watercolor
painting.
Drawings.
Watercolors.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 3 B 5
Note: all accession numbers begin with 80x237
.1 Interior
view of a room featuring a dressing table in front of a window, in pen and
ink. Trees are sketched in outside the
window in pencil.
The
paper bears the watermark of Fellows.
.2 labeled
on back: “Room at Bothwell where Lady May Kent[? kept?] [illegible], room
before she married. August 1824 by MMM.”
Also
on back: pencil sketch of a table.
Sitting
room, with fireplace to left, Pembroke table and chairs between fireplace and
window on right, washstand to right of window; two portraits hang on the wall;
through window one sees a part of Bothwell Castle;
Paper
watermarked: J Whatman/Turkey Mill
.3 labeled
on back: “Sept. 28th 1824, View of drawing room, B.C., by MMM”
[B.C.
probably means
View
of a drawing room featuring furniture, portraits, and a chandelier, with
houseplants near window. Bric-a-brac on
mantel.
.4 labeled
on back: “October 1st, 1824, View of drawing room, B.C., by
MMM”
[B.C.
probably means
View
of corner drawing room, with harp (draped with dust cover), organ, a
pianoforte, music stand, plus chairs and tables, portraits on wall
The
paper bears the watermark J. Whatman, 1818.
.5 labeled
on back: “View of Dining room, B.C. October
9th, 1824. by MMM.”
Dining
room table is covered with a table cloth, but no dishes are on the table. Chairs and another small round table are off
to one side, in front of large window.
Several portraits on the walls.
.6 labeled
on back: “View of Gallery, Dalkeith - October 15th, 1824. by MMM”
Room
with sofa, chairs, table, cabinet, and a number of paintings, many being portraits,
on the wall, depicted in varying detail.
Small statues stand on a table and vases on top of the cabinet.
.7-.12 Watercolor miniatures, probably replicas of
paintings on the walls of the rooms.
.7 labeled
on back: Ly. [Lady] Harriet Montague copied by [illegible] Hope from a picture
in Library at Dalkeith”; depicts young woman with a dog, in dress of late 18th
century
.8 portrait
of a lady in Medieval or Renaissance dress
.9 landscape
with mountains
.10 portrait
of a girl wearing cape and holding a muff, with a dog; the same as a pencil
sketch of one of the paintings in .6.
.11 portrait
of a boy with a dog, in 17th century costume
.12 picture of
a girl from the back
.13 labeled
on back: “from a drawing of Mrs. Scott’s of the drawing room at Ardock, 1830.”
Drawing
room, with round center table, chairs, lamp on table, chandelier, fire in
fireplace lights the scene, including two small dogs
.14 labeled
on back: “from a drawing by Mrs. Scott of the drawing room at Ardock, 1830.” The
same room as above, but from the opposite side and light by daylight; center
table has several books on it but not the lamp; harp and pianoforte are in one
corner, tables and chairs are placed around the room; mirror over fireplace,
but no art on walls
.15 labeled
on back: “No. 3 - taken from the Chair, on the Fireplace proper left, in which Ly
[Lady]
Library
(bookshelves along the walls), with two ladies and the back of a gentleman;
Lady Home is to the right, knitting, partially hidden by a screen, and wearing
a large headdress; Lady Douglas is to the left, and Lord Haddington leans on
the table. Painting is signed D 1833.
[Thomas,
9th Earl of Haddington, lived 1780-1858, succeeded to title in 1828]
.16 Woman
seated in a chair near fireplace, and dog lying on the floor at her feet,
probably in the same room as above (bookshelves line the walls). Signed D, and done in the 1830s (based on the
lady’s dress)
.17 labeled
on back: “No. 2 - taken from a very low Arm Chair, from which No. 1 was taken,
on the Fireplace's proper right. It
represents Ld [Lord] Home in a literary & convivial point of view, towards
ten o' Clock at night. March 30, 1833.”
View
of library (bookshelves line the walls), with gentleman at round table covered
with a tablecloth, chairs and other tables around the room, and a chandelier
hangs from ceiling
.18 labeled
on back: “Ly Home's Sitting Room, April 3d, 1833”;
illustration
shows two women, one of whom is reading; bird in a cage and planter in front of
window; many small pictures on walls.
.19 labeled
on back: “For Lady Ness--being the interior of Figgety [illegible] & view
from it – the first [illegible] of the Pan[illegible]. May 29th & 30th,
1834.”
Woman
sits at a desk in corner of room, with book shelves on one wall, tables and
chairs, bureau, large mirror, some paintings on wall
.20 labeled
on back: “Lucy's room. June, 1834. D. Given
to Jane C. Montagu at Beaulieu, Augst. 2d, 1834”
Same
view as in .19, but more finished (that is, less sketchy)
.21 labeled
on front: “Pigwig[?] seated on the arm of the Settee looking out of the Window.
- at the Scone Inn, Grantham. Sep. 20, 1834.”
Depicts
a woman as described above;
Paper
watermarked Wilmot
.22 labeled
on front: “Figgety at dinner. June 23d,
1835.”
Woman
sitting on daybed eating dinner from a tray, with male roly-poly figure also on
table; canopied bed in background
.23 labeled
on front: “Writing to Mrs. Gin Pye, with legs crossed & at a loss for an
idea.”
Addressed
on back: Honble. Miss Montagu
Woman seated at a
table, writing a letter, with candlesticks on table
.24 Pencil
sketch showing an interior scene featuring a bureau, chairs, tables, and a book
case, with pictures on the walls;
On
back: rough sketches of trees and other objects
Paper
watermarked J Morbey & Co/ 1833
.25 pen
and pencil sketch of an interior featuring chair, table, part of a window,
mirror, paintings, and a fireplace. No
figures appear in the paintings, but most are labeled to indicate the subject.
On
back: pen sketch of another room, or a different wall of the room above,
depicts book shelves, settee, bureau, paintings, door
Paper
watermarked G Yeeles
.26 labeled
on back: “Mrs. Smith's room-- Last morning at breakfast, 1840.”
Room
with chairs, tables, chest against the walls, and a couple of pictures on
walls; notes on the front give additional details about the scene, such as:
"More space between top of cabinet and prints there." "Small green box; basket with knitting;
gilt ornament like top[?] of old looking glass”; etc.