THE WYE TOUR AND ITS ARTISTS Wednesday 7 May , 7.30pm The Drill Hall, Lower Church Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire NP16 5HJ Tickets £3 in advance from Chepstow Museum (01291 625981) or on the door For its contribution to the Wye River Festival, which runs from 3-18 May, Chepstow Museum is staging three events, all of which focus on the Wye Tour. This was a two day boat trip from Ross-on-Wye to Chepstow, which became popular with the leisured and moneyed classes in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The fact that Britain was at war with France and continental travel became impossible, forced those who could afford to travel to seek out places in our own country. The Lower Wye Valley became a mecca for those travelling in search of ‘picturesque’ scenery - views that could be compared to the ideal landscape paintings of the day. Being able to draw and paint was a skill taught to both young men and women of the day, so many of the tourists sketched on the table provided beneath the canopy on the tour boats. Professional artists, however were more likely to travel on horseback or even on foot, so that they had time to stop and capture the scenes. And many of the leading artists of the day came to the Wye and produced drawings in the newly popular medium of watercolour. On Wednesday 7 May the Wye Tour and its Artists will be the subject of a wonderfully illustrated talk by Julian Mitchell, playwright and screenplay writer (Another Country – which is enjoying a new West End run to much acclaim - Wilde, Inspector Morse etc. Julian was guest curator of the exhibition at Chepstow Museum in 2010 and wrote the catalogue/book of the same name, which will be available on the night. He has been researching the art of the lower Wye Valley in this period for the last 30 years. ALL THE WATERS OF WYE MONDAY MAY 12, 7.30PM The Drill Hall, Lower Church Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire NP16 5HJ Tickets £4, £3 conc from Chepstow Museum (01291 625981) or on the door Special screening of all four parts of a documentary series made for TV made about 25 years ago in which Julian Mitchell, author and playwright recreates the Wye Tour in a Rowing boat. Travellers in pursuit of Picturesque Scenery in the late 18th century headed for the Wye with their copies of William Gilpin's guidebook in hand, to view the scenes that he had described, and to attempt to draw, paint, and describe them themselves in journals and sketchbooks, some of which would in turn be published as tourist guides. The Wye Tour has been called the first package tour, with its fixed itinerary and stopping places, sites to visit, viewpoints to admire, and packed lunches provided along with the boat hire. Julian Mitchell travelled with Gilpin in hand, but with a contemporary eye too on both the landscape and tourism. This event is being staged by Chepstow Museum as part of the Wye Valley River Festival (3-18 May) for more information see www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk/index.php/wye-valley-river-festival |
| web site: www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk/index.php/wye-valley-river-festival |
| e-mail: chepstowmuseum@monmouthshire.gov.uk |
Monday, April 28, 2014 |
Older news
stories have been carefully archived.
2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999