Edward William Cooke RA (1811-1880) - Rock Gun Battery, Gibraltar

Edward William Cooke was meticulous at documenting his sketching tours in the UK and abroad. We are fortunate to have extensive details of his trips. We know he left England on 20th October 1860 from Folkestone to Boulogne. Cooke travelled south through France before reaching Barcelona on the 24th October. The artist spent the next few months travelling through Spain and even went to Tangier in Morocco on the 25th January 1861. Cooke used Gibraltar as stepping stone several times in March 1861. Our drawing is from the end of his sketching tour on the 29th March 1861. He returned to England on the 10th April at Southampton. [1]
 
Cooke has helpfully inscribed this drawing 'Rock Gun Battery, Gibraltar'. This depicts an artillery battery that is located on the North Face of the Rock of Gibraltar. It is at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve which is above Green's Lodge Battery. It was originally constructed during the Great Siege of Gibraltar and was later a key outpost during the Second World War.
 
This drawing came directly from the studio of Cooke and has been in the same collection since this time through descent. We will be adding other works by Cooke from this collection including an important view of Rome that was clearly used for his Royal Academy exhibition piece of the city.
 
Medium: pencil on paper from Cooke's sketchbook, inscribed l.l. 'Rock Gun Battery, Gibraltar, 29 March 1861, Looking North' and l.r. 'Mediterranean', 17.6 x 26.1cm, mounted (32.3 x 40.2cm).
 
Literature:
 
[1] John Munday. E.W. Cooke 1811-1880: A man of his time, London: 1996. See Appendix 4 p. 371.
 
Provenance: Studio of the artist, thence by descent to the previous owner.
 
Condition report: in very good condition with a small amount of time staining (please see photos).