Lot 223
Valerie Thornton Etching - "Tower of London" (1979)
Valerie Thornton Etching - "Tower of London" (1979)
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Valerie Thornton (British, 1931-1991). "The Tower of London" etching on paper, 1979. Edition number 2 of 90. Hand-signed, titled, and numbered beneath etching. A dramatic etching by Valerie Thornton, this 1979 work captures the formidable presence of the Tower of London through her masterful handling of texture and surface. The heavy walls of the fortress dominate the composition, rendered with an almost tactile quality that conveys centuries of weathering and history. Narrow arrow slits punctuate the stonework, their cruciform shapes standing in stark contrast to the mottled facade, while the jagged roofline and clustered chimneys rise into a sky shaded with storm-like energy. Size of etching: 22.5" W x 14.5" H (57.2 cm x 36.8 cm); of frame: 32.75" W x 24.74" H (83.2 cm x 62.8 cm)
Thornton was renowned for her ability to translate the gravitas of Romanesque and Gothic architecture into print, emphasizing the monumental endurance of ancient stone. Here, her focus on the Tower's austere massing and weathered surface elevates the fortress beyond a simple landmark, transforming it into a meditation on time, power, and permanence.
About the artist: A British printmaker celebrated for her architectural etchings, Valerie Thornton (1931-1991) was born in London and evacuated to Montreal during the Second World War before returning to study at the Byam Shaw School of Drawing and Painting and later Regent Street Polytechnic. Inspired by English romantics like Stanley Spencer and Graham Sutherland, as well as the groundbreaking printmaking at Atelier 17 in Paris, she developed a lifelong passion for etching. Thornton became a founder member of the Printmakers' Council in 1965 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers the following decade.
Her work, which often captured the textures of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, is represented in major public collections including the British Museum, Tate, Fitzwilliam Museum, Ashmolean, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library. Throughout her career she exhibited widely in Britain and abroad, with retrospectives at the Redfern Gallery and the Ashmolean Museum. Thornton lived and worked in Suffolk until her death in 1991.
Provenance: private Arvada, Colorado, USA collection
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#197013
- Condition: Hand-signed, titled, and numbered beneath etching. Mounted behind glass in custom matte and frame with suspension wire on verso for display. Has not been examined outside of glass, but etching and frame both appear to be in excellent overall condition.
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