Name/Title
View of Basel on the RhineContext
Above the melodeon in the Front Parlor of the Neill-Cochran House Museum hang two small oil paintings by 19th-century British painter William Meadows (1825-1901). The paintings are both framed in ornate, gilt wood and plaster frames, and both depict tranquil European urbanscapes with scenes of water.
Originally, our collection information stated that these paintings depict the city of Venice. Whether this mistake was based on incorrect information that is now lost, or whether it was just an assumption made because of the waterways depicted and the fact that Venice was such a popular subject for this style of painting at the time, is unknown. However, a recent internet image search revealed that these paintings actually depict Strasbourg, France, and Basel, Switzerland.
William Meadows lived his entire life in and around London and was often beset by financial struggles. His landscapes at the NCHM are based on engravings, and it is likely that he never visited Strasbourg or Basel.
The painting of Strasbourg is based on an engraving by George Larbalestier published in the "Atlas de la Géographie universelle" (1840) by Conrad Malte-Brun.
Meadow's painting of Basel is based on a painting by Samuel Prout (1783-1852) that was copied as an engraving and published as an illustration in "The Gallery of Engravings," (1846) edited by C.H. Timperley. It is interesting to note that Meadows' painting depicts the Rhine-Gate on the right-hand side of the composition. Built in the 13th century, Basel's Rhine-Gate was demolished in 1839 when Meadows was still a boy. Whether intentional or not, Meadows' copying of earlier landscape depictions means that his painting captures the city before the major urban transformations of the 19th century.Acquisition
Accession
1974.02Source or Donor
McClendon EstateAcquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Artist
William Meadows (1825-1901) after a painting by Samuel Prout (1783-1825)