The Falls of Tivoli

The Falls of Tivoli
The Falls of Tivoli
The Falls of Tivoli
The Trustees of the British Museum
title=Credit line
Artist
Ascribed to Wilson
Title
The Falls of Tivoli
Date
c.1752-56 (undated)
Medium
Graphite and brown wash, heightened with white, with pen and brown ink on brownish paper
Dimensions
Metric: 269 x 413 mm
Imperial: 10 7/16 x 16 1/4 in.
Accession Number
1873,1213.129
Wilson Online Reference
D98A
Description
The falls of Tivoli are shown with buildings and trees on either side, apparently viewed from the Ponte San Rocco, looking across the torrent and emphasising the beauty and power of the surging water. The town of Tivoli lies beyond and the cathedral with its tower to left of the centre.
Provenance
Donated by John Deffett Francis, December 1873
Signature/inscription
Unsigned; no inscription
Verso inscriptions
Verso invisible as paper laid down
Related Drawings
D98 Wilson, View of Tivoli, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Related Works by Other Artists
[1] Jacob Philipp Hackert, View of the Cascata Grande at Tivoli, 1769, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome
[2] Joseph Denis (1755-1813), The Cascades at Tivoli with an Artist sketching, Gere Collection, on loan to the National Gallery, London
Critical commentary
The use of wash is highly unusual for Wilson and in view of this and the rough and uneven handling of the drawing it may have been added by another hand over a graphite composition by Wilson. Alternatively, the entire drawing may be by another hand altogether.The view was in any case a popular one with Wilson, his contemporaries and successors (cf P98A View of Tivoli, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford).
Bibliography
Binyon 15
Location featured in work
Waterfall at Tivoli near Rome