“View of Pendragon Castle By Moonlight”
This moody night scene, titled “View of Pendragon Castle by Moonlight”, is an oil on canvas painting by the English Romantic artist, Abraham Pether, from 1822. Though well-versed in a variety of fields, he is most known for his sublime paintings of moonlit landscapes. During his life, he was given the affectionate nickname of “Moonlight” Pether.
As my fellow King Arthur fans would know, in legend, Pendragon Castle was said to have been built by Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur. However, as historical records attest, it was actually built by Ranulph de Meschines during the twelfth century.
In this scene, the remains of a castle are depicted in the pale light of a full moon. The ruins look lush, covered in moss and other vegetation. A full moon stands just above the river, partially obscured by clouds. The scene is bright. Two men can be seen below. One is standing in a boat; the other talking to him from land. Gentle waterfalls are depicted in the river in the foreground.
This castle is located in Cumbria, in the very northwestern part of England bordering Scotland, near a bend in the River Eden. In legend, Uther Pendragon tried unsuccessfully to divert the river to create a moat for his castle. After several centuries of use and several attacks from the Scots during the 1300s and 1500s, Pendragon Castle eventually became uninhabitable.
In 1660, it was rebuilt by Lady Anne Clifford, who spent her money and influence rehabilitating many churches and castles in her domain. However, after she passed away, all her belongings were removed from the premises and the castle once again fell into disrepair.
Some remains of the castle are still visible today. They are located on private farmland in Mallerstang Dale, Cumbria. The owners have plans to rebuild and allow the public access to explore the castle once again.
“View of Pendragon Castle by Moonlight” is currently on display at the Nostell Priory in West Yorkshire, England as part of the National Trust.
For more on Abraham Pether, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
