Villa of Maecenas, Tivoli

Villa of Maecenas, Tivoli
Villa of Maecenas, Tivoli
Villa of Maecenas, Tivoli
Tate, London 2014
title=Credit line
Artist
Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782)
Title
Villa of Maecenas, Tivoli
Date
c.1752-56 (undated)
Medium
Black chalk and graphite with white highlights on blue-grey laid paper
Dimensions
Metric: 226 x 347
Imperial: 8 7/8 x 13 5/8 in.
Accession Number
T09285
Wilson Online Reference
D260
Description
The view is across the gorge of the River Aniene at Tivoli, showing the lower cascades in the middle distance and above them, the ruins of the so-called Villa of Maecenas or Temple of Hercules, with the town buildings to the left. In the right foreground stand two figures by the water's edge.
Exhibited
London, Cardiff and New Haven 1982-83 (36)
Provenance
A.P. Oppé; purchased as part of the Oppé collection with assistance from the National Lottery through the Hertitage Lottery Fund 1996
Signature/inscription
Unsigned; no inscription
Verso inscriptions
[1] Centre in old brown ink: Macanas's [sic] Villa |
Richard Wilson
[2] Centre left in old pencil: Maecenas's Villa |
Rd Wilson
[3] Left centre, old brown ink: Marianne Ford
[4] Lower right, pencil: 2193
[5] Lower right, pencil: E2189 [encircled and crossed out with one diagonal line]
[6] Lower right, pencil: (1)
Related Prints
E72/7 Thomas Hastings after Wilson, The Villa of Maecenas, The British Museum
E77 J. Le Keux after Wilson, Maecenas' Villa at Tivoli, National Museum Wales, Cardiff
E79/2 Robert Brandard after Wilson, Maecenas' Villa at Tivoli, The British Museum
Related Paintings
P71 Distant View of Maecenas' Villa, Tivoli, Tate, London
P71A Distant View of Maecenas' Villa, Tivoli, Private Collection, England
P71B Distant View of Maecenas' Villa, Tivoli, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
P71C Distant View of Maecenas' Villa, Tivoli (Tivoli, Villa of Maecenas), Private Collection, England
P71D Distant View of Maecenas' Villa, Tivoli, Lady Lever Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool
Critical commentary
This is probably the drawing referred to by Thomas Hastings as having been 'taken on the spot by Mr. Wilson, in the year 1754, in company with the Earls of Pembroke, Thanet and Essex, and Lord Viscount Bolingbroke; who dined and spent the day together on the spot, under a large tree.'
Previous Cat/Ref Nos
2193
Bibliography
Hastings 1825, Introductory Remarks, p. 10; WGC pp. 226-27, pl. 118a; Solkin 1982, p. 163
Link to WG Constable Archive Record
Condition/Conservation
In good condition, with very little staining.
Updated by Compiler
2024-01-11 00:00:00