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    300 years
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    Morning

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    Morning
    Morning
    Morning
    National Museum Wales, Cardiff
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    Artist
    Samuel William Reynolds after Wilson
    Title
    Morning
    Date
    Published 1 August 1824
    Medium
    Mezzotint on white laid paper
    Dimensions
    Metric: 297 x 386 mm
    Imperial: 10 11/16 x 15 3/16 in.
    Collection
    National Museum Wales, Cardiff. To license image, click here.
    Accession Number
    NMW A 5998
    Wilson Online Reference
    E73C
    Description
    Landscape with a group of three figures on the grassy banks of a river, trees and shrubs on the right, a circular ruin in the middle ground on the right and hills in the background
    Provenance
    Given by Major F. Treharne James, 1918
    Signature/inscription
    Lettered below the image with the title (MORNING.) in filled letters, and 'From a Picture in the possession of Frederick Perkins Esqr. | GEMS OF ART, PLATE, 19.' | London, Published Augst. 1st. 1824, by W.B. Cooke, 9 Soho Square.; production details: 'Painted by Richard Wilson. R.A.' 'Engraved by S.W. Reynolds. | Engraver to the King.'
    Verso inscriptions
    [1] Upper right corner, pencil: Mr M [?]
    [2] Lower right corner, pencil: NMWA 5998
    Subject
    The exact location of the view is has been much debated and the scene is almost certainly a capriccio centred on the so-called Temple of Venus at Baia near Naples (see Critical commentary below). The marble sarcophagus in the foreground is very much an invention of Wilson's and cannot be considered conventional in form, with its square shape, flat open top and oval decoration.
    Related Drawings
    D271 Bay of Baiae - Temple of Venus, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
    Related Prints
    E64 William Sherlock after Wilson, River, Sea-Coast and circular Ruin ('Morning'), The British Museum and other impressions
    E72/14 Thomas Hastings after Wilson, Temple of Venus with Part of the Bay of Baiae, The British Museum and other impressions
    E72/40 Thomas Hastings after Wilson, Landscape (River, Sea Coast and circular Ruin), The British Museum
    E74 Samuel William Reynolds after Wilson, Evening, The British Museum and other impressions
    Versions
    See 'Links' tab
    Related Paintings
    P92 An Italian Landscape, Morning (River, Sea Coast and circular Ruin), Private Collection, England
    P92A River, Sea Coast and circular Ruin, Private Collection, England
    P92B An Italian Landscape, Morning (River, Sea-Coast and circular Ruin), Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, New Haven
    Critical commentary
    Plate 19 of Gems of Art: Forming a Choice Collection Engraved from Pictures of Acknowledged Excellence, Beauty, & Variety, Painted by Esteemed Masters of All Ages and Countries', published by William Bernard Cooke, 9, Soho Square, in 1824. The composition has been known under several titles, notably The Temple of Venus at Baiae but at first sight the temple does not seem to be the same building as in D271, the drawing by Wilson of this subject in the Victoria & Albert Museum, or in the famous Turner painting of the Bay of Baiae in Tate, London. However, Robin Simon has recently observed that the building is in fact the same (actually baths rather than a temple) but seen from the opposite side, revealing the ruined open aspect of the structure. He further has identified the landscape in the middle distance as resembling the view looking out from the Bay of Pozzuoli and the town of Baia towards Naples - an area much favoured by Wilson.
    Previous Cat/Ref Nos
    18.111
    1918.5
    Bibliography
    A. Whitman, Samuel William Reynolds, 1903, p. 122, cat. 463, II; WGC, p. 218 under pl. 106a; Wilson and Europe 2014, p. 283.
    Condition/Conservation
    Published state. Needs a surface clean; some staining round edges especially at left. Roughly torn right edge.
    Updated by Compiler
    2018-01-26 00:00:00

    Work of Art

    Drawings

    • Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782), Bay of Baiae - Temple of Venus, Victoria & Albert Museum, London

    Prints

    • William Pengree Sherlock after Wilson, River, Sea-Coast and circular Ruin ('Morning'), The British Museum
    • Thomas Hastings after Wilson, Temple of Venus with Part of the Bay of Baiae, The British Museum
    • Thomas Hastings after Wilson, Landscape (River, Sea Coast and circular Ruin), The British Museum

    Versions

    • Samuel William Reynoldsafter Wilson, Morning, The British Museum
    • Samuel William Reynoldsafter Wilson, Morning, The British Museum
    • Samuel William Reynoldsafter Wilson, Morning, Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
    • Samuel William Reynoldsafter Wilson, Landscape with Ruins (Morning), Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

    Paintings

    • Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782), An Italian Landscape, Morning (River, Sea Coast and circular Ruin), Private Collection, England
    • Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782), River, Sea Coast and circular Ruin, Private Collection, England
    • Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782), An Italian Landscape, Morning (River, Sea-Coast and circular Ruin), Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, New Haven

    Biographies

    • Samuel William Reynolds (1773-1835)

    Documents

    • William George Constable, Richard Wilson
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