What can we find out about the topographical painting of Margam House

(South View)?

Look at the painting carefully and think about these questions: Who was the artist? When was the painting painted? Is it a modern painting? When do you think it was painted? Why do you think this?

Could the same painting be painted today? Give a reason /s for your answer: Where was the artist sitting or standing when he/she did the painting? How long do you think the artist took to paint the picture? Say why: Is the painting realistic? Is it to scale? Is it in proportion? Why do you think the owner of Margam House at the time wanted this kind of painting done? Do you know the name of the owner of the house? If not, can you find out? How?

Look very carefully along the front of the house. What do you think about the style/s of the buildings? Compare the right hand side with the left hand side in particular. Look at the house on the left hand side of the painting, in the road bordering the large garden. What do you think about it in terms of its size? Compare it with the other houses in the painting. Is it the correct scale? Look at the three rectangular shapes on the right hand side of the painting. What do you think they are? Look at the mountains behind the painting. Do you think the artist painted them accurately or used something called ‘artistic licence’? Can you explain this term?

The artist makes Margam House look important. How does he achieve this? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think he has done this? _______________________________________________

1. What else have noticed about the painting? What is special about it? (A clue; think about the title of this work sheet)

2. What are your feelings about the painting?

What can we find out about the topographical painting of Margam House

(North View)?

Look at the painting carefully and think about these questions: Who was the artist? When was the painting painted? Is it a modern painting? When do you think it was painted? Why do you think this?

Could the same painting be painted today? Give a reason/s for your answer: _______________________________________________ Where was the artist sitting or standing when he/she did the painting? How long do you think it took the artist to paint this picture? Say why: Is the painting realistic? Is it to scale? Is it in proportion? Why do you think the owner of the house at the time wanted a painting of this kind? Do you know who the owner was? If not, can you find out? How?

Look carefully at the painting. Do you notice anything unusual about the style/s of the house? Look at the two distinctive gardens on the right hand side of the picture. What do you notice about their shape? Write their special name if you know it. If not, how can you find it out? Look at the impressive gateposts. Are they still in the same position? If not, where are they now? Why do you think they are there?

Look at the Summer House on the bank above the left hand side of Margam House. Is this building still there? If not what has taken its place? The artist makes Margam House look important. How does he achieve this? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think he has done this? _______________________________________________ 1. What else have you noticed about the painting? What is special about it? (A clue: think about the title)

2. What are your feelings about the painting?

Some examples of Topographical Paintings

Topographical Paintings -Teachers' Notes

Leonard Knyff (1650-1721) (after) Johannes Kip (1653-1722) (engraver)

1. Badminton in the County of Gloucester 2. Ashdowne Parke in the County of Berks 3. Wrest House & Park in Ye County of Bedford 4. Grimsthorp in the County of Lincoln [1] 5. Haughton in the County of Nottingham 6. Swillington in the West Rideing of Yorkshire

from Nouveau Theatre de la Grand Bretaigne [The New Theater of Great Britain] Hand-colored copperplate engravings London: 1708-13

Johannes Kip (1653-1722) was a draughtsman and engraver, who worked first in his native Amsterdam before moving to London at the end of the seventeenth century. He did portraits, views and book illustrations. His most important work was this lovely and informative series of bird's-eye views of English country seats. Kip originally collaborated on this project with a fellow Dutch artist Leonard Knyff, Knyff doing the drawings and Kip the etchings. But as the project developed, Kip created his own drawings as well as doing the etchings. These prints are wonderful examples of Kip's delicate and skillful work. Architectural elements are rendered with great care and detail and the surrounding formal gardens and distant nature are illustrated with luxurious fullness. Incidental figures and horses add delight and visual interest. These are Charming prints that are also archeologically significant for the information they give us about this great period in British architecture and landscape design.

Leonard Knyff (1650-1721) (after) Johannes Kip (1653-1722) (engraver)

Bird's-eye views of the great English country houses showing the architecture, formal gardens, and the surrounding landscape. The Nouveau Theater of Great Britain is celebrated for its survey of the country house in the early Georgian period, recording great Elizabethan and Baroque architecture in the series of plates drawn by Leonard Knyff and engraved by Johannes Kip. It was a period of great mercantile prosperity when many of the great country seats of England were restored and expanded. Included in this series are The Palace, St. James Park, Longleat, Chatsworth, Hampton Court and Knole.

Leonard Knyff was a Dutch artist living in England, as was Johannes Kip, who was also an engraver and print dealer. According to the Grove Dictionary of Art, “The work for which Kip is best remembered is his large corpus of topographical engravings of country mansions, which were published first in 1708. This book is among the most important English topographical publications of the 18th century. The subjects were engraved by Kip after 'bird's-eye' drawings were executed by Leonard Knyff .”

The Paintings of the Old House at Margam

The North View Look carefully at the topographical painting of the north view of the old house at Margam and the photograph of the same view. What differences can you see? Write them in the table below.

Painting Photograph clear view trees blocking view

Look at the painting and the photograph again. What similarities can you see? Write them below.

Painting Photograph coastline coastline

The Paintings of the Old House at Margam

The North View Look carefully at the topographical painting of the north view of the old house at Margam and the present day view fromHen Eglwys. What differences can you see? Write them in the table below.

Painting Today’s View clear view trees blocking view

Look at the painting and the view in front of you again. What similarities can you see? Write them below.

Painting Today’s view coastline coastline

The Paintings of the Old House at Margam

The South View Look carefully at the topographical painting of the south view of the old house at Margam and the present day view of the Orangery and the hills behind. What differences can you see? Write them in the table below.

Painting Today’s View Look at the painting and the view in front of you again. What similarities can you see? Write them below.

Painting Today’s view

The Paintings of the Old House at Margam North View

The picture below is a copy of a topographical painting of the north view of the 'old house' at Margam. Although the painting was not dated, the Margam house is thought to have been built by Rice Mansell, who bought Margam Abbey after the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry Vlll, in 1536. A copy of the painting hangs in Margam Castle, whereas the original is in the possession of Mr. Christopher Methuen Campbell, who inherited Penrice in Gower.

Look carefully at the clearer detail in the painting overleaf. Which features give you clues to its age? Can you pick out any buildings which were part of the original Abbey? Look at the chimneys, windows and gardens for further evidence. What kind of gardens were popular in the Tudor period? Can you find evidence of this type of garden on the present day map? (Map 3)

Can you think where the artist might have been standing in order to capture this view of the house? Imagine you are an artist standing in the same position today I would you be able to paint the same picture? What differences would there be in your painting today? Here is a photograph taken from the same position. Look carefully at the photograph and compare it with the painting. List below the differences that you see.

Painting Photograph

Look at the large gates and pillars on the boundary of the drive in the painting. Look at Map 2 and locate the pillars.

Look at Map 3 and locate the original position of the gates. Walk to this location and in the boxes below draw what you can see when you face the different points of the compass.

These pillars still exist. Where have you seen them? Are they still in the same position? Compare their original position, which you have already marked on Map 3, with their present day site.

Patricia and Donald Moore, in their book' A Vanished House' state that the painting presents 'the impression of an important residence dominating its surroundings'. Do you agree with this opinion or not? Give reasons for your answer. Why do you think Rice Mansell would wish to have a painting of this type done?

Map showing eastern edge of area covered by original Margam House.

East

Map 1

Map showing position of original Margam House built by Sir Rice Mansel and his descendants.

East

Stand Here

Map 2

Where is the Mansel House now? To discover the position of this house, stand at the bottom

step of the 69 steps that lead from the Chapter House area to the Castle – known as the Broadwalk, as shown on the map.

With your back to the Castle, pace out in a straight line to a point where, when you look to your right you see the front of Margam Abbey. This is the length of the Mansel house. Mark this on your map of the park and compare this with the map above, and with the topographical paintings showing the Mansel House.

Map showing present buildings and vegetation once occupied by the Mansel House.

East