Valerie Thornton Etching – “Bodiam Castle” (1977) (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 23B)

$160.63

Valerie Thornton (British, 1931-1991). “Bodiam Castle” etching on paper, 1977. Edition number 176 of 250. Hand-signed, titled, dated, and numbered beneath etching. A finely executed etching by Valerie Thornton, capturing the grandeur of Bodiam Castle, one of England’s most iconic medieval fortresses. The composition presents the fortress rising above its encircling moat, its crenellated towers and stone curtain walls rendered with Thornton’s signature attention to surface texture. Subtle tonal variations evoke the weathered patina of centuries, while the bridge and gatehouse draw the viewer’s eye into the fortified entry. Created in 1977, this work exemplifies Thornton’s lifelong interest in Romanesque and Gothic structures, where the interplay of stone, shadow, and time becomes as significant as the architecture itself. Her technique conveys both the monumentality and the fragility of the castle, suggesting its endurance across turbulent centuries. Size of etching: 18.75″ W x 13.5″ H (47.6 cm x 34.3 cm); of frame: 27″ W x 22″ H (68.6 cm x 55.9 cm)

About the artist: A British printmaker celebrated for her architectural etchings, Valerie Thornton (1931-1991) was born in London and evacuated to Montreal during the Second World War before returning to study at the Byam Shaw School of Drawing and Painting and later Regent Street Polytechnic. Inspired by English romantics like Stanley Spencer and Graham Sutherland, as well as the groundbreaking printmaking at Atelier 17 in Paris, she developed a lifelong passion for etching. Thornton became a founder member of the Printmakers’ Council in 1965 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers the following decade.

Her work, which often captured the textures of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, is represented in major public collections including the British Museum, Tate, Fitzwilliam Museum, Ashmolean, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library. Throughout her career she exhibited widely in Britain and abroad, with retrospectives at the Redfern Gallery and the Ashmolean Museum. Thornton lived and worked in Suffolk until her death in 1991.

Provenance: private Arvada, Colorado, USA collection

Condition: Excellent. Hand-signed, titled, dated, and numbered beneath etching. Mounted behind glass in custom matte and frame with suspension wire on verso for display. Has not been examined outside of glass, but etching and frame appear to be in excellent overall condition.