Amos Green (British 1735-1807), Gateway of Roos Castle, Nr Duncombe Park

Amos Green (British 1735-1807)
Gateway of Roos Castle, Nr Duncombe Park
Watercolour and ink
Inscribed (verso)
24 x 38cm (9¼ x 14¾ in.)

Most likely to be a study of the ruins of Helmsley Castle, which is indeed near Duncombe Park in North Yorkshire, rather than the ground-level traces of the moated Roos Castle in the South Riding of Yorkshire. Helmsley was in the possession of several generations of the de Ros, subsequently the Roos family, from the late 12th to the early 16th centuries. Comparison of the extensive extant ruins of the gatehouse at Helmsley is further supported by similar comparison of a closely related watercolour sold at auction in 2007, inscribed on the reverse '6/ Part of the Keep of Roos Castle' with the current remains of the keep at Helmsley, bearing in mind the area was only cleared in the late 19th century of the encroaching trees and undergrowth depicted in both compositions. The one presented here is inscribed '5/ Gateway of Roos Castle, Nr Duncombe Park', and they both probably date from latter phase of the career of Amos Green (1735-1807). He was originally from Halesowen near Birmingham, and was initially trained to decorate trays and boxes, a skill that soon evolved into painting still lifes of flowers and fruit in the manner of Van Huysum and Monnoyer. He later turned his vision to the outside world, becoming an accomplished and successful landscape artist. He married late, in 1796, to a native of Yorkshire, Miss Little, where the couple settled for the remaining years of Green's life. During this period, he seems to have preferred going on sketching tours with his wife, producing just such watercolour studies as we see here, rather than producing larger finished paintings.

Condition Report:
most likely to be a study of the ruins of Helmsley Castle, which is indeed near Duncombe Park in North Yorkshire, rather than the ground-level traces of the moated Roos Castle in the South Riding of Yorkshire. Helmsley was in the possession of several generations of the de Ros, subsequently the Roos family, from the late 12th to the early 16th centuries. Comparison of the extensive extant ruins of the gatehouse at Helmsley is further supported by similar comparison of a closely related watercolour sold at auction in 2007, inscribed on the reverse '6/ Part of the Keep of Roos Castle' with the current remains of the keep at Helmsley, bearing in mind the area was only cleared in the late 19th century of the encroaching trees and undergrowth depicted in both compositions. The one presented here is inscribed '5/ Gateway of Roos Castle, Nr Duncombe Park', and they both probably date from latter phase of the career of Amos Green (1735-1807).

He married late, in 1796, to a native of Yorkshire, Miss Little, where the couple settled for the remaining years of Green's life. During this period, he seems to have preferred going on sketching tours with his wife, producing just such watercolour studies as we see here, rather than producing larger finished paintings Condition Report Disclaimer