Described as “quiet, easy and dignified, like an apostle,” Bulwer (1794–1879) was an amateur artist and antiquarian from Norfolk, who commissioned records of local architecture from figures such as Sandys. Here, the meticulously painted ivy and the elaborate doorway (inspired by nearby Ely Cathedral) are almost emblems of their period: fascination with Nature and the Middle Ages was widely shared. The careful description aligns Sandys with the Pre-Raphaelites, one current in contemporary British art. Frame: moulded ornament over wooden substructure, gilded. Britain, original
