Arboreal glory

Paul Sandby: Picturing Britain, a Bicentenary Exhibition
Royal Academy, until 13 June

As Paul Sandby’s dates 1731—1809 suggest, last year was his bicentenary, when this exhibition started out in Nottingham. Sandby lived in that illustrious city before heading north to Edinburgh, when he was appointed draughtsman to the Military Survey of North Britain in 1747. It is therefore most appropriate that this exhibition travelled from Nottingham to Edinburgh before coming south to the RA. It follows Sandby’s own trajectory in this. He moved to London in 1751, to stay with his elder brother Thomas at Windsor and in Soho, and became involved in the St Martin’s Lane Academy. He began to make prints, first of all satirising Hogarth’s ‘Analysis of Beauty’ and then producing a series of London Cries. His connection with Windsor was confirmed when his brother was appointed Deputy Ranger of Windsor Great Park in 1765, responsible for major landscaping schemes. Both Sandby brothers became founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768, Paul as a member of Council and Thomas as Professor of Architecture. 

It is thus highly appropriate that Paul Sandby should be shown now in the Sackler Galleries of the RA, and that Thomas should get in on the act. But his presence can be confusing. It seems that Thomas frequently collaborated with Paul on pictures, besides being an immensely talented draughtsman in his own right. Both brothers were trained in topographical drawing and cartography, and brought to their work a remarkable accuracy of detail matched by a genuine sympathy for nature.

This exhibition offers another instance of the advantage of viewing a display in reverse. The last room contains by far the most interesting and original work and, when I visited, it was the least crowded.