Low Fell from Lanthwaite Hill — Alfred Wainwright (1907-1991)

Low Fell, from Lanthwaite Hill — Alfred Wainwright (1907–1991) Original pen-and-ink landscape drawing | Lake District, Cumbria | Signed A beautifully observed Lake District view of Low Fell, drawn from near the summit of Lanthwaite Hill—a classic Wainwright vantage that balances the patchwork geometry of the valley with the fell’s distinctive ridge and mass. Executed in pen and ink on paper, this is the medium most closely associated with Wainwright’s celebrated Lakeland work. The artwork:- This is a quietly powerful example of Wainwright’s draughtsmanship: precise, economical, and richly descriptive. Depth and atmosphere are created through layered hatching and line direction, rather than wash, giving the scene a crisp, timeless clarity. The foreground is anchored with darker, more emphatic mark-making through woodland and scrub. Beyond, the landscape opens into a measured pattern of fields and boundaries that reads almost cartographically—an approach collectors instantly recognise as Wainwright. Low Fell is built with controlled cross-hatching and contour-led linework, conveying slope, texture, and distance with remarkable efficiency. The sky is handled with light, restrained strokes, suggesting movement while keeping the land dominant. As is typical of Wainwright, there are no figures—only a contemplative sense of place. Literature linkage and significance:- This composition is documented as “Drawing 231: Low Fell, from Lanthwaite Hill.” Reference notes record the viewpoint near the summit of Lanthwaite Hill and, importantly, that the view forms the title page of the Low Fell chapter in The Western Fells. Wainwright’s seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells was produced from his hand-drawn pen-and-ink manuscript pages, with first publication across 1955–1966. The Western Fells (Book Seven) was first published in 1966. Working date (mid-1960s): because this specific view is tied to the Low Fell chapter/title-page usage in The Western Fells (1966), the most defensible guide-era dating framework for an original of this composition is c. 1964–1966, prior to publication. Artist:- Alfred Wainwright MBE (1907–1991) remains one of Britain’s most loved fell-writers and landscape draughtsmen. His Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells—entirely handwritten and hand-illustrated—became the definitive cultural record of Lakeland walking and is enduringly collectible. A copy of the book A Pictorial Guide to the lakeland fells the western fells book seven is included. Signature and inscription:- Signed in pencil “A Wainwright” (lower right) Titled “LOW FELL” (lower left) Presentation:- Mounted with a clean white border mat Framed in a luxurious Larson Juhl baroque-style black lacquered Radiata Pine moulding Glazed with AR70 museum-grade glass for excellent clarity and UV protection Provenance: Acquired from a private Cumbria collection, then via a notable long-established Cumbria auction house 1818, and accompanied by a Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD label verso. Private exhibition at the Famous Lord Hill Musuem.