The Antiquary's Cell

This is a view of the interior of John Sheepshanks's own study at Barnes by the River Thames near Putney. Cooke visited various antiques dealers in London's Wardour Street and numerous curiosity shops in order to make up a convincing assemblage of antiques and botanical and zoological specimens. Prior to the rush of classification that was a feature of High Victorian science, many collectors and antiquaries had chaotic arrays of curiosities strewn around their rooms. As more scientific-minded historians and biologists replaced antiquaries, nostalgic pictures of picturesque but random collections like this were increasingly in demand. It has been suggested that Cooke was inspired by the description of Jonathan Oldbuck's study in Sir Walter Scott's novel The Antiquary, published in 1816.

People

Edward William Cooke (1811-1880) started painting when he was very young, and aged only nine made drawings for the Encyclopaedia of Plants (1820). He had a long and profitable career as a marine painter, exhibiting 130 works at the Royal Academy. John Sheepshanks collected 11 of his paintings, as well as a number of watercolour studies for them.