Ruins in Italy

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Ruins in Italy
Ruins in Italy
Ruins in Italy
National Museum Wales, Cardiff
title=Credit line
Artist
Thomas Abiel Prior (1809-1886) after Wilson
Title
Ruins in Italy
Date
Published December 1852
Medium
Steel engraving on white paper
Dimensions
Metric: 326 x 234 mm
Imperial: 12 3/4 x 9 3/16 in.
Accession Number
NMW A 10915
Wilson Online Reference
E88
Description
The scene features one of the vast arcaded galleries of what was thought at the time to be the ruined Villa of Maecenas. To the right a monk directs a well-dressed lady with a staff towards a small archway. On the left a river winds its way behind three poplars. The shadows fall sharply from the upper left
Provenance
Given by T.H. Thomas, 1914
Signature/inscription
[1] Lettered below the image with the title and: 'R. WILSON, R.A. PAINTER.' 'T.A. PRIOR, ENGRAVER. | FROM THE PICTURE IN THE VERNON GALLERY.' | 'SIZE OF THE PICTURE. | 1 FT. 2 IN. BY 10 IN.' 'PRINTED BY G. VIRTUE.'; publication details: 'LONDON, PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETORS.'
[2] Inscribed in pencil, lower left: '14.275 | Eng. 166'
Verso inscriptions
[1] Upper centre, pencil: Donor. T.H. Thomas Esq Cardiff
[2] Lower left, pencil: D.W
[3] Lower centre, pencil: nmwa 10915
Related Drawings
D130 Wilson, The Villa of Maecenas at Tivoli, The British Museum
Related Prints
E43 Michael 'Angelo' Rooker after Wilson, Twelve Etchings of Views in Italy - Villa of Maecenas at Tivoli, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, New Haven and other impressions
E72/37 Thomas Hastings after Wilson, Part of Mecenas' [sic] Villa at Tivoli, The British Museum
Related Paintings
P137 The Villa of Maecenas at Tivoli, Tate, London (the Vernon picture) and many other versions
Critical commentary
The print was an illustration to an accompanying anonymous article, 'The Vernon Gallery' in The Art Journal, 1852, p. 381 (see also E83, E85 and E91). In 1854 it featured with a two-page text in S.C. Hall's 3-volume catalogue of the Vernon Gallery (see Bibliography).
Previous Cat/Ref Nos
14.275
1914.3
Bibliography
The Art Journal, new series vol. 4, December 1852, p. 381; S.C. Hall ed., The Vernon Gallery, vol. 3, 1854, no. 6 (unpaginated).
More Information
Thomas Abel Prior (1809-1886) was a line engraver. His early work was done for the publishers Henry Fisher and George Virtue and consisted of landscapes of Britain, the Mediterranean region, China, and America.
Condition/Conservation
Narrow vertical strip added or cut into support at right, rising at lower right corner. Needs surface clean.
Updated by Compiler
2018-03-09 00:00:00