Italian Landscape with Three-Arched Bridge

Italian Landscape with Three-Arched Bridge
Italian Landscape with Three-Arched Bridge
Italian Landscape with Three-Arched Bridge
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
title=Credit line
Artist
Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782)
Title
Italian Landscape with Three-Arched Bridge
Date
c.1752 (undated)
Medium
Graphite and black chalk on blued-white, medium, moderately-textured laid paper mounted on cream, smooth, moderately thick wove paper
Dimensions
Metric: 200 x 282 mm
Imperial: 7 7/8 x 11 1/8 in.
Accession Number
B1977.14.4720
Wilson Online Reference
D94
Description
A three-arched bridge crosses a river in the middle distance, surmounted by a tower-like bridge house. Silhouetted immediately below is an angler, with two more in the foreground, right. On the left the seated figure may be intended as an artist drawing. In the background are hills, poplars and other trees.
Exhibited
Tate 1925 (96 - Bridge over the Anio); Manchester 1925 (42 - Bridge over the Anio); New Haven, English Landscape, 1977 (14)
Provenance
Captain Richard Ford; Christie's 17 June 1929 (6); E. Parsons (15 guineas); Thomas Lowinsky; Justin Lowinsky; P. & D. Colnaghi, London; bt by Paul Mellon, February 1963
Signature/inscription
Signed with initials below seated figure, left (?): RW; no inscription
Collectors' marks
[1] Lower left corner, recto: 'TEL' in circle: Thomas Lowinsky (Lugt 2420a)
Critical commentary
When exhibited in 1925 the river was identified as the Anio, which runs east from Tivoli. The bridge does not recur in any other work by the artist and may be imaginary. Details such as the particular attention paid to the reflections in the water suggest that this is a finished compositional study. The relatively simple technique and the use of white paper may indicate that it was executed early in the artist's Roman stay.
Previous Cat/Ref Nos
Object ID: 14325
Bibliography
New Haven, English Landscape, 1977, p. 10, pl. LIII
Condition/Conservation
Mounted on old lined mount, dimensions: 257 x 316 mm (10 1/8 x 12 7/16 in.)
Updated by Compiler
2017-11-22 00:00:00