Brunet Debaines (1845-1886)
Fountenay Abbey
c. 1882
Etching
8 1/2 x 6 3/8″ (21.6 x 16.2 cm)
Wetmore Print Collection, Connecticut College
FW-0230
Burnet Debaines’s Fountenay Abbey depicts a popular 19th-century tourist destination. This sought-after view of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, England is referred to as “The Surprise View” or “Anne Boleyn’s Seat.” The two figures at left would have traveled through the Georgian-style gardens of Studley Estate, only to emerge from the woodlands to be confronted with a perfect view of the 12th-century ruin in the distance. Seeking a contrast to their increasingly industrialized world, the goal for such tourists was an experience of nostalgia and the picturesque. The “Surprise View” was designed to provide these sensations.
