Lake Nemi

Lake Nemi
Lake Nemi
Lake Nemi
Birmingham Museums Trust
title=Credit line
Artist
Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782)
Title
Lake Nemi
Date
c.1754 (undated)
Medium
Black chalk, stump, brown wash and white bodycolour on beige paper laid down on card
Dimensions
Metric: 267 x 410 mm
Imperial: 10 1/2 x 16 1/8 in.
Accession Number
1913P152
Wilson Online Reference
D105B
Description
The view is down onto Lake Nemi, which lies in the hollow of wooded shores, with buildings on steep heights left, and on the opposite side towards the right. In the foreground are two figures on a rock, and a stone-pine with cypresses far right.
Exhibited
Worthing 1960; Amsterdam 1965 (143); London Victoria & Albert 1968 (67)
Provenance
Acquired 1913
Signature/inscription
No inscriptions; unsigned
Versions
See 'Links' tab
Related Works by Other Artists
[1] Francis Towne (1739-1816): The Lake of Nemi, watercolour, 1781, The British Museum (Nn,3.4)
[2] Joseph Wright of Derby, Lake Nemi, 1790-95, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, New Haven.
The view was painted by many British artists after Wilson, including Thomas Jones and William Pars.
Critical commentary
Beautifully worked, with minute details on the architecture upper left. Additional features are the tiny boat and sensitive reflection in the lake. The drawing's authenticity is supported by a pentimento in the left-hand figure. Although doubted by WGC who believed it might be a copy by another hand and by Ford this compiler is inclined to accept it.
Previous Cat/Ref Nos
152'13
Link to WG Constable Archive Record
Condition/Conservation
Edges ragged in places
Updated by Compiler
2016-02-02 00:00:00