Skip menu to read main page content

Mr. Robertson’s Quarry near Aquia, Virginia

Description

Watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper drawing of "Mr. Robertson's Quarry near Aquia, Virginia", ca. 1806, from the Latrobe Sketchbooks, by Benjamin Henry Latrobe. In 1804, Latrobe was in the midst of designing and sourcing materials to build the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. His supply of sandstone was running out and he sought another source. Latrobe entered into an agreement with William Robertson, the owner and operator of "Robertson's Quarry" to supply sandstone for the project. Latrobe only applied watercolor to a few large stones at center in this partially finished sketch. He made small notes throughout the sketch such as "none" and "gravel." Most of the background and foreground are incomplete. He described the property in his journal as “the best quarry now in work.” Latrobe knew Robertson for several years and first makes note of his quarry in an April 1798 journal entry.

Date

circa 1806

Materials

Pencil and wash on paper

Dimensions

8 x 12.75 inches

Object ID

1960.108.1.9.8

Resource ID

4759

Notes

Sketchbook 9

Digital Publisher

Digital resource provided by the Maryland Center for History and Culture

Rights

This digital image is made available here for private study, scholarship, and research. Commercial and other uses are prohibited without the permission of the Maryland Center for History and Culture. For more information, visit the MCHC’s Reproductions and Permissions web page.