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Source Description
By the end of the 18th century, Britain’s medieval ruins had become popular tourist destinations and a rich source of inspiration for Romantic poets and painters, establishing a veritable "cult of ruins." Decaying Gothic architecture set in overgrown landscapes conjured thoughts of the transience of human ambition in the context of eternal nature. In 1755, the writer and Whig politician Horace Walpole described Netley Abbey: "The ruins are vast . . . with all variety of Gothic patterns of windows wrapped round and round with ivy—many trees are sprouted up against the walls and want only to be increased with cypresses! In short, they are not the ruins of Netley, but of Paradise." Michael Angelo Rooker’s drawing gives form to Walpole’s description of his magical visit to the ruined abbey.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
163792
label
Inside the East End of Nettley Abbey
core
obj
dtoType
drawing
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
163792
contentType
drawing
title
Inside the East End of Nettley Abbey
description
By the end of the 18th century, Britain’s medieval ruins had become popular tourist destinations and a rich source of inspiration for Romantic poets and painters, establishing a veritable "cult of ruins." Decaying Gothic architecture set in overgrown landscapes conjured thoughts of the transience of human ambition in the context of eternal nature. In 1755, the writer and Whig politician Horace Walpole described Netley Abbey: "The ruins are vast . . . with all variety of Gothic patterns of windows wrapped round and round with ivy—many trees are sprouted up against the walls and want only to be increased with cypresses! In short, they are not the ruins of Netley, but of Paradise." Michael Angelo Rooker’s drawing gives form to Walpole’s description of his magical visit to the ruined abbey.
date
1794
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79990419
creators
51901
genreSpecific
Drawing
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 23.5 x 30.2 cm (9 1/4 x 11 7/8 in.)
cul
England, 18th century
accession
2005.199
Source extras
tec
gray wash with extensive point of brush with traces of graphite; squared with graphite
tombstone
Inside the East End of Nettley Abbey, 1794. Michel Angelo Rooker (British, 1746–1801). Gray wash with extensive point of brush with traces of graphite; squared with graphite; overall: 23.5 x 30.2 cm (9 1/4 x 11 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Painting and Drawing Society of The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2005.199
supportMaterials
description
off-white wove paper
collection
DR - British
inscriptions
inscription
inscribed, in graphite, upper left edge: Inside of the East End of Nettley [sic] Abbey - Oct 7, 1794; inscribed, in graphite, on verso, at center: Inside of the East end of Netley. Abbey Oct 7th 1794
didYouKnow
Netley Abbey, seen in this drawing, was a popular subject in art and literature at the time Michael Angelo Rooker depicted it.
citations
citation
Conner, Patrick. <em>Michael Angelo Rooker, 1746-1801</em>. London:Victoria & Albert Museum, 1984.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 129
citation
Lemonedes, Heather. "Quintessentially British." <em>Cleveland Art</em> (July/August 2007).
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: pp. 8-11
citation
Lemonedes, Heather. <em>British Drawings: The Cleveland Museum of Art. </em>Exh. Cat. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2013.
page_number
Mentioned: pp. 48-49, 148, no. 13; Reproduced: p. 49
creditline
Gift of the Painting and Drawing Society of The Cleveland Museum of Art
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:30:53.780000
sourceId
163792
dept
Drawings
coll
DR - British
med
gray wash with extensive point of brush with traces of graphite; squared with graphite
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
f81922c8ca4e5662