The Romance of Ruins – the Etchings of George Cuitt

A new exhibition opens on Saturday (20 July) at Chester’s Grosvenor Museum.

The Romance of Ruins is the first exhibition devoted to the work of Chester’s finest Regency artist, George Cuitt (1779-1854).

The exhibition draws on the Grosvenor Museum’s extensive collection of Cuitt’s work, much of it never on display before, to newly showcase a master of printmaking for the first time in nearly 200 years.

Councillor Lisa Denson, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cabinet Member for A Fairer Future said: “The new exhibition focuses on George Cuitt’s unique etchings, it examines his fascination with medieval architecture, including Chester’s ancient buildings, the castles of North Wales and the ruined abbeys of North Yorkshire. Entry to the Grosvenor Museum is free and the exhibition is on display until 12 January 2025

Cuitt’s work reflects the influence of ideas of the picturesque and the sublime on early 19^th century art, but he always maintains a unique point of view and artistic style.

George Cuitt was born in 1779 in Richmond, North Yorkshire and came to Chester in 1804, working as a drawing master for the daughters of wealthy families. His father, George Cuit Senior, was himself an important provincial landscape artist.

In Chester, Cuitt began producing etchings, including some of the city’s most recognisable landmarks, such as Chester Cathedral and Bishop Lloyd’s Palace. He also made many etchings of castles in North Wales. In 1821 Cuitt returned to his native Yorkshire where he depicted many of the county’s ruined abbeys, most notably Fountains, Rievaulx and Kirkstall, places familiar to us today as heritage sites. He retired from etching in 1840 and spent the rest of his life at his house in Masham, fishing and working on his garden. He died in 1854.

Other exhibitions at the museum include ‘More than a Shop - Browns of Chester’, ‘Retracing Footsteps – The Changing Landscape of Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon’, ‘Sporting Life’ and returning in September ‘Louise Rayner: Victorian Watercolour.’

The Grosvenor Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10.30am to 5pm and Sunday, 1pm to 4pm. Closed on Monday, but open on Bank Holiday Mondays. Entry is free but donations are welcome.