Art Funded by you

South East View of Cheltenham

Thomas I Robins, 1740

Photo: © Sotheby's

Thomas Robins the Elder was an important 18th-century fan painter and landscape artist. He was born in Cheltenham and lived for much of his life in Charlton Kings on the eastern side of the town. This fan is richly decorated with a view of the South East of the town, and features a number of different annotated elements, including ’The Well and its Conveniences’ , ‘Lady Stapleton’s house’, ‘The Church and part of ye Town’, and ‘…Stapleton’s Dog Kennel’; of these only the Parish Church, St Mary’s, still stands. The mention of Lady Stapleton’s name twice strongly suggests she commissioned the fan. A number of figures are depicted including what is probably the artist himself seated at work on the left of the scene (Robins includes himself in other known work), and Lady Stapleton may also be included as one of the well-dressed figures on the Well Walk, possibly accompanied by her friend Captain Henry Skillicorne, the developer of Cheltenham Spa.

More information

Title of artwork, date

South East View of Cheltenham, 1740

Date supported

2012

Medium and material

Paper/parchment painted with watercolour, ivory sticks

Dimensions

29 cm diameter

Grant

4718

Total cost

12750

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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