Strada Nomentana - II (View on the Strada Nomentana)

Strada Nomentana - II (View on the Strada Nomentana)
Strada Nomentana - II (View on the Strada Nomentana)
Strada Nomentana - II (View on the Strada Nomentana)
Private Collection, South Africa
title=Credit line
Artist
Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782)
Title
Strada Nomentana - II (View on the Strada Nomentana)
Date
Undated
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Metric: 48.4 x 61.1 cm
Imperial: 19 1/16 x 24 1/16 in.
Collection
Private Collection, South Africa
Wilson Online Reference
P105C
Description
A ruined ancient tomb on the banks of a stream at sunset, with a man, two children and two hounds reflected in the water. To the right are large rocks and trees. A serpentine path traversed by two small figures leads towards a row of trees in the left distance. Further away in the centre are ancient buildings and mountains.
Provenance
Probably Sir William Bellairs (1793-1863), Mulbarton Lodge, Mulbarton, Norfolk; his son, Major-General Sir William Bellairs (1828-1913), Clevedon, Somerset; [...] Sotheby's London, 6 July 1977 (128); Sotheby's London, 8 March 1989 (79)
Signature/inscription
Unsigned; no inscription
Subject
The ruin has been identified as the 'Sedia del Diavolo', actually the tomb of Elio Callistio, one of many ancient sepulchres to be found along the Via Nomentana, leading north-east out of Rome. In Wilson's day it was well outside the city but now stands in the Piazza Elio Callistio in the urban Trieste district.
Related Prints
E39 Joseph Farington (1747-1821) after Wilson, Twelve Etchings of Views in Italy - In the Strada Nomentana, 1776, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, New Haven (B1977.14.21011(h)) and other impressions
E72/23 Thomas Hastings after Wilson, View on the Strada Nomentana in Italy, The British Museum (1854,0708.80) and other impressions
Related Works by Other Artists
[1] Francis Towne (1739-1816): A Sepulchre by the Roadside going from Rome to the Ponte Nomentana, watercolour, 1780, The British Museum (Nn,2.14)
Critical commentary
Wilson included this structure in several other paintings, for example P68 Classical Landscape with Venus, Adonis and Cupids, Victoria & Albert Museum. However it is doubtful whether the subject was here intended to do more than signify a generalised image of Roman imperial greatness in decay. The summary style and bright colours of the figures' clothing indicate that this version is likely to be a later replica by the artist.
Bibliography
WGC, p. 210, pl. 96b (version 2) [?]
Location featured in work
The Via Nomentana runs north east from Rome to Nomentum (Mentana), passing near the Alban Hills
Updated by Compiler
2021-08-04 00:00:00