An Exceptional Eye: A Private British Collection

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Lot 57
  • 57

Richard Wilson, R.A.

Estimate
100,000 - 200,000 GBP
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Description

  • Richard Wilson, R.A.
  • The Villa Borghese, Rome
  • signed on the mount l.l.: R.W.f. Romae 1754 / Villa / Borghesi. No 2
  • pencil, black chalk and stump heightened with white, numbered on reverse of mount 52, laid down on original lilac wash mount, held in a British neo-classical frame
  • 28 by 42 cm.; 11 by 16 1/2 in.

Provenance

William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth (1731-1801);
by descent until 1948;
Derek Lockett;
His sale, Sotheby's London, 15 March 1990, lot 66

Exhibited

Birmingham, Museum and Art Gallery, Richard Wilson and His Circle, 1948/9 no. 71;
London, Tate Gallery, Richard Wilson and His Circle, 1949, no. 70

Literature

J. Farington, The Diary, ed. James Greig, 1924, vol. III;                           Sir B. Ford, 'The Dartmouth Collection of Drawings by Richard Wilson,' Burlington Magazine, no. 549, 1948, p. 345;
Sir B. Ford, The Drawings of Richard Wilson, 1951, no. 51

Condition

Support: This drawing has been executed on a sheet of grey laid paper, which has been fully adhered to another sheet of cream paper. The sheet of cream paper has an edge of mauve paper, which has typically faded. This is the artist's original mount. The condition is good. Medium: The condition of the white and black chalks is very good and surprisingly fresh. Note: This work was viewed outside studio conditions. We are grateful to Jane McAusland for her help in providing this condition report. For further information regarding this lot please contact Mark Griffith-Jones (0207 293 5083) or Emmeline Hallmark (0207 293 5407) mark.griffithjones@sothebys.com emmeline.hallmark@sothebys.com
"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."

Catalogue Note

This rare drawing is one of a series commissioned by William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth (1731-1801) in 1754. The Dartmouth set of drawings are the most important group of the artist's finished compositions on paper. Originally numbering sixty-eight, the drawings were highly prized by the Earl of Dartmouth and much admired by connoisseurs and artists of the day, they still continue to command such fascination and admiration today. Of these sixty-eight drawings only twenty five are now traced. Distinguished by their white mount with lilac wash border, on which the artist attached a small white label bearing the title of the work, few survive in the condition of the present work.

The importance of Richard Wilson's contribution to the development of landscape painting in British Art cannot be underestimated. A founder member of the Royal Academy, Wilson taught Thomas Jones amongst others (see Jones's View of Egreria also offered in this sale) and influenced generations of artists including Turner (see Seascape also offered in this sale).