The Cathedral, Palma
1927
Medium
etching printed in brown on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 20.1 x 34.3 cm (7 15/16 x 13 1/2 in.) sheet: 28.5 x 44.8 cm (11 1/4 x 17 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift from Clare Calder and her sister Rachel Austin
Accession Number
2012.5.1
Art Historical Context
Robert Austin's *The Cathedral, Palma* (1927) captures the majestic Gothic silhouette of La Seu Cathedral in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, rendered with the artist's signature precision and atmospheric depth. Austin, a leading British printmaker of the interwar period, was renowned for his etchings that blended meticulous line work with a romantic realism, often drawing from European architecture and everyday scenes. Created during a time when British artists traveled extensively to Spain for inspiration, this print reflects the era's fascination with Mediterranean grandeur amid the cultural excha...
About the Artist
Robert Austin
Robert Sargent Austin RA PPRWS PPRE (1895–1973) was a preeminent British engraver, draughtsman, illustrator, and painter, born in Leicester, England, where his prodigious talent emerged early—at just eight years old, he exhibited with the Royal Drawing Society.) He trained first at the Leicester Municipal School of Art from 1909 to 1913, then at the Royal College of Art from 1914–1916 and 1919–192...