The Israelites Passing through the Wilderness Preceded by the Pillar of Clouds

William West

1801 Bristol – 1861 London

Pen and ink with brown wash, heightened with white and scraped in places. Sheet size: 18.6 x 26 cm.

William West is one of the main exponents of the School of Bristol (1). His so-called Monochrome Drawings are counted amongst the most technically and visually independent and remarkable works of the School of Bristol; and they are a rarity amongst English drawings of the first half of the nineteenth century (2).

These Monochrome Drawings, which usually deal with either biblical and mythological subjects, but can also depict fantastic scenes are of the same period as the Fantastic Works by John Martin (1789 Hebdon Bridge – 1854 Isle of Man).

Usually, the entire sheet is washed in brown or black ink. In order to create effects of light West either uses heightening in white, or he carefully scrapes away the colour down to the white paper. The drawings are thought to be very rare and were only created during a short period just before 1830 (3). We have been able to trace a mere 15 works of this kind in private and public collections (4).

"He makes sketches at the drawing parties which delight all who see them, they are chiefly Eastern scenes, buildings, gardens, bathes, fountains, subterranean scenes, dark interiors tastefully and ingeniously composed, illuminated by hot sun, cold moons, torchlight and all kinds of natural and preternatural light and often supplied with most appropriate figures" (5).

In our drawing, the people of Israel are led through the desert by God who takes the form of a pillar of clouds by day and a pillar of fire by night (6).

West’s principal work in oil depicts this second subject, The Israelites Passing through the Wilderness preceded by the Pillar of Light (7). The painting is now dated to 1845, and therefore more than 15 years after our drawing. Both subjects are so closely related, however, that one may presume that our drawing was possibly intended as a design for an oil pendant. West often returned to motifs from his earlier and most fruitful period during his later career.

We would like to thank Francis Greenacre, Bristol, and Kathrin Kruse, London for the above information.

(1) See Francis Greenacre, Bristol School of Artists, Francis Danby and Painting in Bristol 1810 – 1840, Bristol 1973).
(2) “West’s achievement as an artist cannot yet be determined. But it seems unlikely that the quality and individuality of the “View of the Avon Gorge” (cat. no. 236), The Israelites (cat. no. 237) or the sepia drawing (cat. no. 240) were repeated very often. ....” (Greenacre, p. 195).
(3) Greenacre p. 198, cat. no. 240.
(4) Romantic Scene, private collection London, ill. in: Greenacre, cat. no. 240. The Sacrifice, City Art Gallery, Bristol. Gladiators fighting, Christie’s, 20.3.1990, Lot 50. An Army on the Shore, Christie’s, 18.3.1980, Lots 24 and 26. Ruins on the Nile, private collection. A group of five works, including ours, private collection, London.
(5) John King to John Gibbons, 8. April 1829, Gibbons letters, (Bristol Record Office).
(6) “y day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.”Exodus 13, 21.
(7) Greenacre, cat. no. 237, ill. p. 25.

Bought by a museum, Northern America.