The core of the Museum’s drawings collection is a group of 52 works by John Claude Nattes (c.1765-1839). Nattes was a successful topographical draughtsman and watercolourist.

Possibly of French origin, he lived in London for most of his life but travelled widely across Britain and the Continent. He was a founding member of the Society of Painters in Watercolours in 1804, but was expelled after two years for exhibiting other people’s work as his own. This incident didn’t seem to affect his reputation and he continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1814.

In the early years of the 19th century the Napoleonic Wars prevented many artists travelling from Britain to the Continent. Nattes earned his living in this country from commissions to record buildings and estates and also from his services as a drawing master. The Spencer Stanhope children of Cannon Hall were among his pupils, and the drawings in the collection date from his time here.

Below is a selection of 15 works from the collection showing aspects of the Cannon Hall estate and the surrounding area. These delicate but animated sketches are an invaluable insight into the landscapes, labours and lifestyles of the period.

Sketch of Spring in the pleasure grounds at Cannon Hall showing trees and bushes

‘Spring in the pleasure grounds at Cannon Hall’

Sketch of a windmill with fields and trees to the right

‘Wind Mill near Cannon Hall August 1809’

Sketch of the Kitchen Garden at Cannon Hall showing a shed and trees

‘Back Kitchen Garden at Cannon Hall’

Sketch of a house surrounded by trees and a woman feeding chickens outside

‘Back of the gamekeeper’s house, Cannon Hall Park’

Sketch of a bridge leading away from us with rough outlines of trees on either side.

‘Bridge over the Dern in Cannon Hall Park August 1809’

Sketch of the deer shelter at Cannon Hall with colonnades and trees outside it

‘Deer Shed in Cannon Hall Park’

Sketch of Cannon Hall parkland with trees and fields and three people walking in the bottom left corner

‘Park at Cannon Hall August 21st’

Sketch of a water mill surrounded by trees and partially obcsured thick foliage

‘A Mill at Silkstone the property of W Sp Stanhope Esq’

Sketch of pottery kiln with chimneys for the fire and people working outside it

‘A Pottery at Silkstone’

Sketch of a building with gabled roof and beer barrels and butter churns, a staircase to the right

‘Brew House Cannon Hall’

Sketch of a road leading through trees and fields, a man and a horse and cart are on the road and a building to the right

‘Cawthorne Village from Cannon Hall August 1809’

Sketch of a coal engine with machinery for mining and a man on a horse

‘Coal Engine at Norcroft’

Sketch of mining machinery surrounded by trees

‘Coal Pitt at Dean Hill near Cannon Hall’

Sketch of a waterfall surrounded by trees

‘Cascade at Cannon Hall’

Sketch of a woman standing at a spinning wheel surrounded by trees and foliage

‘Spinning at Heath’