A York Georgian Summer: Nathan Drake’s riverside stroll
- yorkgeorgians
- Jul 3
- 8 min read
by Allison Sharpe (YGS Communications Manager)
Well-dressed Georgians take a leisurely riverside stroll on what – judging by a lady’s billowing skirt and the full-sailed boats – was a breezy summer day. This painting The New Terrace Walk, York of about 1756 and putatively by Nathan Drake also features Old Ouse Bridge in the distance. Readers of the May Coffeehouse Conversation will spot the similarity
to William Marlow’s circa 1763 painting of the same crossing, which was executed at much
closer range. However, Drake’s purpose was both to provide a clearly recognisable view of
the City of York, and to showcase the place as refined society’s resort of choice. The main
inscription on a print (probably) made after the paintings – there are two oils at York Art
Gallery – is perhaps shrewdly, ‘To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen and
Corporation of the City of York; this Prospect of a Noble Terras Walk laid out at their
Expence, is most Humble Dedicated by their most Obedient Servant Nathan: Drake’ etc’.
Another inscription reads, ‘N.B. This Pleasant Walk is near a Mile in length, but for the
Advantage of seeing the fine Bridge, and Cathedral &c. This View was taken from near the Centre.’ Interestingly the figures in their finery differ in persons, pose and dress across the images. We do not know the circumstances around the paintings’ production, whether
speculative, or if a patron was involved. However, the fact that Drake had a print made in
London shows he hoped to derive an income from multiple sales. Summed up by Ingamells
as a, ‘modest provincial painter who would turn his hand to any branch of the art if occasion
demanded’, Drake seems to have had commercial sense. As a young man in his 20s he had
arrived in York (probably from Lincoln) in 1752, and was to die there on 19 February 1778. In
addition to getting prints produced in the capital, Drake was connected to London too, via
the Society of Artists. Between 1771 and 1776 he was to exhibit six pictures with them, and
achieved the status of elected Fellow. Having a brother who was an artists’ colourman –
making and selling paints – in Long Acre, Covent Garden, it is likely that this is where Nathan
stayed if in Town.
It was in York, however, that Drake married the daughter of a coffee-shop owner, Martha
Carr, in 1763. They set up home in Precentor’s Court and were soon to have two sons. Made
during this period, Chassereau’s 1766 Plan of the City of York sets out many landmarks
included in Drake’s works, such as The Minster, Clifford’s Tower and The County Gaol. In
plan the elm trees, planted in the 1730s appear spaced just as in Drake’s images. Elms grow
quite rapidly, so their spindly forms as depicted there might not be a great exaggeration.
Meanwhile Drake’s viewpoint is implausibly high above ground level, thus making for a
semi-bird’s eye view (we might call this a ‘drone’s eye view’ today). It is a clever artistic
device, creating a dramatic design with room for more information than would be
perceptible at human height.
Another curiosity is that the trees in the print of The New Terrace Walk are more leafy and
convincing than in the picture shown at the top of this article. By contrast, too, the elms of
the painting illustrated immediately above have burgeoned foliage, and are very like those
of the print. Certainly the composition of this latter painting is closer to the print’s design,
notably in the clean perspective line of the river-bank hedging. This picture then could be
the prime work. However, if instead, the upper painting was Drake’s original version, could
it be that in making the etching with aquatint, Grignion actually improved on the painter’s
trees? Perhaps then Drake took inspiration from this, and painted a second picture with less
stylised elms than his first. In any event, Richard Green cautions that the Drake paintings are
not securely attributed. It could be that one or neither is autograph, opening a range of
authorship theories as to copyists, or a pupil’s hand.
This watercolour by Thomas Girtin of the The New Terrace Walk, in about 1798 and seen
from the opposite, western, river bank, is some 40 years after Drake. It is revealing to
understand how the trees have filled-out, their spindly trunks now hidden from view. If we
can accept Drake’s trees as being shown truthfully as to their height, then the same cannot
be vouched for his people. He does use contrasts of scale to express distance, with figures
becoming progressively smaller the further away they are positioned. This is not
consistently done, though. Even allowing for different heights in nature, the occasional giant
is juxtaposed against more diminutive mortals. This leads to an intriguing proposition.
Although the almost monochrome (and damaged) Interior of the Assembly Rooms, York is
catalogued as by an unknown artist, the figures bear a strong resemblance to Drake’s. Not
only do many appear etiolated here, too, but the scale relationships are not always
believable. Even so, across all these depictions, there is successful deployment of twisting
‘contrapposto’ and elegant gestures to give these Georgians a fine sense of grace and
movement.
William Lindley is inscribed as the author of a closely related print of 1759, A Perspective
View of the inside of the Grand Assembly Room in Blake Street. As an apprentice and
draughtsman to architect John Carr (1723-1807) at the time, Lindley would naturally have a
keen interest in Lord Burlington’s fashionable building. The remarkable similarity in the
treatment of figures in both outdoor and interior scenes suggests a number of possibilities.
If the painting preceded the print, was the original work by Lindley, or by Drake? Or was the
design a collaboration, with Lindley providing the architectural context and Drake adding
the figures? Did Lindley take drawing lessons from Drake, copy him, or use the same sources?
No self-portrait by Drake has been identified. However he did paint his distant relative,
Francis Drake – the famous York antiquary – around the time of The New Terrace Walk, York
venture. In these works given to Drake it is fair to say that the so-called ‘modest provincial
painter’, demonstrates more than a little talent, flair and versatility.
The author thanks Richard Green (YGS Vice-President) for points of information and insight.
References:
History of York website: http://www.historyofyork.org.uk
John Ingamells, ‘Art in 18th-Century York’, Country Life, 1971, Part 1 pp. 1412-1414 & Part 2 pp. 1530-1532
Mansion House Doncaster website, Doncaster Architects – William Lindley:
YGS Events for Your Diary
Friday 8 August
York Georgian Society / York Georgian Festival Events 2025
‘Talking of Georgian Dance… with tea and demo’
Join us at The Guildhall, St Martin’s Courtyard, York, YO1 9QN at 1-3pm for a talk on Georgian dance followed by a real demonstration!
If you close your eyes and imagine the Georgians, the parties and dances from Jane Austen’s
novels will probably spring to mind. But what were these events really like?
In this event, Dr Hillary Burlock, expert on historical dance, will give a talk on ‘A Night at the
Assembly Rooms’, exploring what it was like to attend a ball in the Georgian era. Who would
you meet? What would you dance? How should you (or should you not) behave?
We’ll also be joined by a group of costumed dancers, ‘Regency Rejigged’, who will show us
how it should be done, as they give a demonstration of Regency dances accompanied by
musicians playing genuine music from the time.
After all that excitement – join us for a cup of tea and a slice of cake – where you will have
the chance to chat to the speaker and the dancers to talk more about regency dance!
Cost (including tea and cake): £12 per person.
And for anyone who would like to feel more involved, please do feel free to BYOB (bring
your own bonnet): but there is no obligation for those who prefer to watch only!
Please see more information about the speaker and performers via the link below.
Read on to make an afternoon of it…
Friday 8 August
York Georgian Book Club
3pm at The Guildhall, St Martin’s Courtyard, York, YO1 9QN
We are excited to announce the launch of the York Georgian Book Club, organised by Dr
Adam Smith (York St John University) and Dr Jemima Hubberstey (York Georgian Society)!
Whether you're already a fan of the eighteenth century or dipping your toe for the first time into this exciting age of print, politeness, scandal, and satire, we hope there will be
something for everyone to enjoy.
Join us at our first meeting, which coincides with the York Georgian Festival 2025. We'll be marking Jane Austen's 250th anniversary by reading and discussing her final novel,
Persuasion. Described by Virginia Woolf as the novel in which Austen discovered "that the
world is larger, more mysterious, and more romantic than she ever supposed", Persuasion is
both a fierce satire of vanity and a moving tale of missed opportunities and second chances.
No booking is required and this is a free event, please just come along with your book and
an appetite for discussion!
All are welcome at this informal bi-monthly in-person Book Club, where we'll alternate
between reading books written in the eighteenth century and books written about the
eighteenth century. If you would like to know more information, please email
jemimahubberstey@hotmail.co.uk who will be happy to answer any questions.
Catch up Online Anytime
Gresham College Lectures – YouTube Channel
Entertainment in London in the 18th Century
A discussion of the range and possibilities for entertainment by Mike Rendell
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