The present work was drawn in 1803 during Cornelius Varley's tour of Wales with his fellow artist Joshua Cristall (1768-1847). By the early nineteenth century the River Wye, for so long the main trading route from Chepstow in Wales to Hereford in England, had become an important destination for artists and tourists in search of the 'picturesque' landscape.
In this carefully observed work Varley concentrates upon the unusual rock formation and the charming image of his friend sketching on the river bank. Cristall returned to the Wye valley in 1823 moving to the village of Goodrich where he lived until 1841.
