A View of Barton Ferry

This romantic view of the Barton Ferry was engraved in 1801 by John Hassell, after (copied from) the original oil painting by T. Bradley, another artist - engraver. Hassell was one of the first engravers to apply colour to aquatint, a printing technique that resulted in a beautiful granular effect that made the depiction of atmospheric effects, such as the clouds, more realistic, giving greater variety of tone. Prints of this type, easily reproducible, were of increasing interest to collectors, and to tourists. Their subject matter reflected the contemporary interest in the landscape and topography of particular places. Formal dedications to town dignitaries beneath prints were common practice, and it is probable that the first copy of any such prints would be presented to the corporation.