Thomas Rowlandson watercolour

Where was this painted from?

I've tried and tried..... but I just can't make that painting look like Coventry! The short spire, the river (apparently on higher ground than the bridge / tunnel on the left)..... I'll take some convincing!

I know what you mean Rob. Though I think it's the canal not the river and the view might be from the north west, where the spires might align.

Is the bridge on the left a road going under a road? I can't make out what it is.

I think it's a canal going over a road. The horses are turning the barges to the left. If it is Coventry then I think St Michael's tower is missing and should be to the left of the spire shown.

Thanks, Helen, I can't think of anywhere that the canal goes over a road.

I don't think it does now but there were the remains of a road on the Board of Health map that looks like it was abandoned for the wide, straight Leicester Road. I was going to have a look at the pre-1850 maps but I still can't get onto Cov Dig. The only location I can think of is the top middle of this map, but it's not a perfect fit.

If you search on this Tate site for Coventry. There are quite a few Turner sketches of different views of Coventry. They are not very clear, usually the right hand copy is clearer. I still cannot find anything that matches to the Rowlandson painting. Perhaps you will have more luck, Helen. Nevertheless there are some interesting sketches.

Thanks Anne. I need to go through the Turner sketches again, although their likeness to the city are very vague. If the watercolour is Coventry then it can't be long after the canal was built and the city scape is very loosely based on the city and at least one spire is missing.

After looking at the Turner sketches, if Rowlandson did something similar, you can understand why any finished painting looked nothing like the actual view! I think artistic licence played a big part. On the Rowlandson painting, I notice on the right what looks like a boat on blocks so that might suggest some sort of wharf or boat yard.

Yes Anne, I'm somewhat underwhelmed by Turner's sketches of the city.

Rowlandson also produced the comedy sketch of Peeping Tom and the King's Head, so he did know Coventry.

I tried bringing out the colour on the Rowlandson painting and that makes it a lot more realistic but I thought that there should be some evidence of remnants of town wall or gates and cannot see any.

Hi Anne, the only place I know of is the aqueduct over the Old Leicester Road on the outskirts of Rugby

The more I look at this painting the more I think it is not Coventry. I also can't understand, wherever it is, about the canal. It appears to change level across the picture and over the tunnel without a lock!