![A watercolour drawing of Peterborough Cathedral, showing the intricate decorative details, and a close, off-centre viewpoint from the west. A man is seen sitting on one of the column bases, and a group of three or four people are standing talking nearby.](https://courtauld.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/d.1967.ws_.48-scaled-0x800-c-default.jpg)
Peterborough Cathedral from the west front
Thomas Girtin
This drawing is one of six variations on the subject. Its studied precision reveals Girtin’s early training as a topographical watercolourist with Edward Dayes. The strong vertical accent, sound sense of perspective, and intricate decorative detail reflect Girtin’s experience as a draughtsman of architectural subjects. His use of the close, off-centre viewpoint and the way he fills the sheet with the whole edifice were influenced by the work of the well-known topographer Thomas Malton the younger (1748-1804).
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Explore![Two men sit across from each other at a table covered with a brown tablecloth, playing cards. Both men wear overcoats and hats, and the man on the left smokes a pipe. They sit inside a wooden building.](https://courtauld.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Card-Players-Banner-0x700-c-default.jpg)