South view of the Retreat. Copy of a lost Peter Atkinson drawing of 1812, possibly by William Williamson

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Watercolour drawing, coloured. This drawing was originally framed, with a manuscript label on the back, which said: “South View of the Retreat taken from a point near where the West Villa now is. Artist not known. Date 1812-1818 – before the first Gentlemen’s Lodge was built. Presented to the Committee of the Retreat in 1920 by John Dale who had just completed 50 years service. Formerly the property of Alfred Smith, a patient, to whom it was presented by William Williamson, the Joiner, who died 8th mo. 6th 1869. It is probable that this is the work of Peter Atkinson and it was executed at the same time as the drawing of the North Front published in Tuke’s Description.” This drawing is particularly interesting in showing the rear of the Retreat at such an early date, before the rear extensions. The airing court walls are shown. Stylistically, it is not, in fact, very much like the Peter Atkinson drawing of the North front, RET 2/1/2/1: it is much larger, and its technical execution is far less assured. Moreover, the detailing – showing all the little window panes (very unlike the way Atkinson portrays the windows in RET 2/1/2/1) – is in character with William Williamson’s attention to detail. So this looks far more likely to be a copy of an Atkinson drawing made by Williamson. William Williamson, who was employed as a Joiner and Attendant by the Retreat between 1855 and 1869, drew up many plans and drawings to show how the Retreat might be expanded in these years. Much of this projected work was either not done, or was carried out to different architects’ designs. Many of his plans and drawings are now in RET 2/1/10.

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South view of the Retreat. Copy of a lost Peter Atkinson drawing of 1812, possibly by William Williamson

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