John Varley was a founder, in 1804, of the Society of Painters in Water Colours. A man of immense energy and enthusiasm, he was extremely prolific, generous to a fault and perpetually in debt; his house was always filled with friends and pupils. This panoramic view of Snowdon shows Varley's characteristic delicacy of handling and subtle light effects, and exemplifies the ‘clear skies, distances and water’ which he considered the medium of watercolour most effectively conveyed.