Francesco Lojacono

Either Sir Henry Doulton or his son Ronald Duneau Doulton (a gift from the Egyptian Government in the late 1870s. Henry Doulton (1820-1897) joined his father's pottery workshops, developing glazes and initiating the manufacture of drainage pipes that made Doulton a household name. The company exhibited its wares in Philadelphia in 1876 and in Paris at the Exposition Universelle two years later, following which Doulton was made a Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur. He was knighted in 1887).
Orrok Mills Doulton (son of Ronald Duneau Doulton)
Peter Duke Doulton (son of the above)
Ian Duke Doulton (son of the above)
Thence by descent to the present owner (daughter of the above)

Paris, 1878

The canvas has been relined. There are some small areas of faint hairline craquelure, chiefly visible in the centre of the sky relating to the vertical stretcher bar. Ultraviolet light reveals an even varnish layer and a handful of minor scattered spots of retouching, principally in the sky, and some tiny old spots in the back of the standing woman. The painting is in good overall condition. Held in a decorative gilt frame.
"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."

The view is from the ruins of the eighteenth-century Villa San Marco, which formerly stood on the slopes of Monte Catalfano. Another version, without the staffage seen in the present work, is recorded in Gioacchino Barbera, Francesco Lojacono 1838-1915, Milan, 2005, no. 58.