View from Cliefden

Joseph Farington

View from Cliefden

1795

Aquatint Engraving

This aquatint engraving, View of Cliefden (now spelled Cliveden), was drawn by Joseph Farington and engraved by Joseph Constantine Stadler for An History of the River Thames, published by John and Josiah Boydell in 1795. The print depicts the celebrated Buckinghamshire estate dramatically situated atop limestone cliffs overlooking the River Thames. From the river below, viewers are presented with a sweeping prospect of the house, its surrounding woodlands, and the steep escarpment that made Cliveden one of the most admired landmarks along the Thames. Farington’s composition emphasizes the picturesque relationship between architecture and landscape, capturing the estate's commanding position above the water and the romantic scenery that attracted travelers, artists, and aristocratic visitors throughout the eighteenth century. As part of Boydell’s ambitious survey of the Thames, the image preserves a view of the original Cliveden House shortly before it was destroyed by fire later that same year.

Joseph Farington (1747–1821) was a prominent English landscape painter, diarist, and member of the Royal Academy, while Joseph Constantine Stadler (1747–1822) was a German-born engraver renowned for his mastery of aquatint. Their collaboration formed part of An History of the River Thames, a lavishly illustrated publication featuring seventy-six hand-colored plates that traced the river's course from its rural source to the heart of London. Today, the work is regarded as one of the most important visual records of Georgian England, documenting its landscapes, architecture, transportation networks, and river life. Farington's meticulous observations not only produced some of the finest topographical images of the period but also informed the extensive diaries for which he is now best known, making this print significant as both an artistic achievement and a valuable historical document.

Dimensions: H 14 1/4 " x 18" W (with matting)

Condition: Some foxing consistent with age