MARCO RICCI | Twenty four landscape views

Six frames, each containing four drawings. Each drawing is laid down on the remains of an old 18th century album page. In most cases there are two drawings to each album page, though in two cases there are single drawings on trimmed album page backing. The majority of the drawings remain in good condition, with the medium fresh and vibrant throughout. In some instances the ink has fractionally sunk into the sheet and there are some minor abrasions. Generally the condition is good with the overall visual impact very strong. Sold framed.
"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."

Few of Marco Ricci’s drawings can be dated with any certainty, however the broad range of techniques employed by the artist in this delightful grouping of 24 sheets plainly illustrates the extraordinary variety of which he was capable as a draughtsman. From his relatively loose sketch, depicting Travellers in a landscape with a convent and a campanile, drawn predominantly in pen and brown ink with some light touches of grey wash, to his more elaborately worked up drawings, such as Fishermen walking in a landscape with a waterfall, where the use of brown wash is considerably more pronounced. Interestingly, each drawing that makes up the present lot is still hinged to the partial remains of the original album page, helping to further illustrate how artists and collectors of the 18^th Century would originally have stored such works and perhaps, in part, explaining the fine condition in which these drawings remain to this day. Indeed one of the richest holdings of drawings by Marco Ricci is to be found in the Royal Collection, some 146 drawings. 106 of these works were originally bound in two separate albums entitled Paesi (Landscapes) and Architettura (mainly theatrical scenery) and owned by the great 18th-Century collector, Joseph “Consul” Smith, whose collection of drawings was acquired by George III in 1762, forming the nucleus of the Royal Collection of drawings at Windsor Castle. It seems highly likely that the drawings in this lot once formed part of a similar album of landscape drawings by Ricci, though, since it must have been dismantled in the 20^th Century, it is no longer possible to determine their early provenance.