Unknown Hall

John Ralston 1789 - 1833

Summary

A pencil drawing of a Georgian-style hall set in parkland. The hall has two wings, and a central section that is three windows wide. At the foot of the lawn supporting strutwork can be seen. The park in the foreground is extensive, and dotted with cattle. A church with a square tower is on the horizon at the right side, behind a path that rises up a bushy bluff. Pale blue streaks on the drawing's surface show that the pale brown paper on which the drawing is made was once blue, and that a shortsighted attempt at hiding dark blotches on the paper has been made. Subsequently the drawing has suffered light damage, and the paper has changed colour, while the repairs have not. The drawing was unearthed in a location audit of the gallery's Local History collection, where it was annotated 'Unknown artist, unknown hall'. The style, however, looks like that of John Ralston, dating it to approximately the 1820s. It is likely to be a hall in Manchester, Lancashire or Cheshire: if you recognise it, please do get in touch with a curator at the gallery.