Richard Parkes Bonington 1801-1828

Possibly Lewis B. Brown, Pierrot Auctioneers, 12th and 13th March 1830

To be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonée of the Works of R. P. Bonington by Patrick Noon to be published in 2008.

The medium is very strong and fresh. The bodycolour and gum arabic are in excellent condition. There are several small areas of very minor paper discoloration. In general the work has survived extremely well.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Recently discovered, this watercolour is a view of the Castello, Ferrara, visited just once by Bonington, in 1826, after his three week visit to Venice. The one other known Ferrara view by Bonington is the pencil study for this work in a Private Collection (Fig.1).  

Bonington's visit to Italy in 1826 is recorded in the diary of his companion, Baron Charles Rivet.  The journey took place in the Spring of 1826 when Bonington was twenty three.  Starting in Paris on 4th April, Bonington and Rivet travelled for eleven weeks. They headed south to Switzerland where they stayed for four days in Geneva before crossing the Alps via Sion and Brig.  They paused in Milan, then on to Brescia and Verona where they arrived on 18th April and on the 20th they arrived in Venice.  So far, the weather had been grey and wet most of the time, this continued in Venice, and Rivet's diary recorded his travel companion's despondency.  However, during their three weeks in Venice, the sun eventually shone, and by 20^th May, Bonington had produced many of his finest sketches and he was reluctant to leave.

By late May Bonington reached Ferrara via Padua.  Whilst Bonington was in Ferrara, the castle was occupied by Austrians who had taken over in 1813 from Napoleon's troops who had invaded in 1796.  Bonington completed his Italian tour alone via Florence, Rome and the coast at Lerici, Genoa and Turin, then arrived back in Paris on the 20th June. 

We are grateful to Patrick Noon for his assistance in cataloguing this watercolour.