Italian Sketchbook - Drawings pp. 15(v) and 16(r)

Italian Sketchbook - Drawings pp. 15(v) and 16(r)
Italian Sketchbook - Drawings pp. 15(v) and 16(r)
Italian Sketchbook - Drawings pp. 15(v) and 16(r)
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
title=Credit line
Artist
Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782)
Title
Italian Sketchbook - Drawings pp. 15(v) and 16(r)
Date
1754
Medium
Graphite with black and white chalk on medium, rough, blued white wove paper
Dimensions
Metric: 281 x 210 mm (each sheet)
Imperial: 11 1/16 x 8 1/4 in. (each sheet)
Accession Number
B1977.14.359 v15 & r16
Wilson Online Reference
D280/15
Description
15(v) is blank
16(r) depicts a full-length partly-draped female figure in high relief against a cornice
Provenance
Oldfield Bowles; given to Sir George Beaumont, 1784; thence by descent until 1963, when sold to Paul Mellon
Signature/inscription
16(r) inscribed in black chalk upper right: in the Capital [sic]
Subject
The Hadrianeum, dedicated by Antonius Pius in 145 AD ws a temple which deified Hadrian and included reliefs of 29 provinces and trophies. This one is usually identified as Egypt on account of the drapery, knotted at the waist.
Critical commentary
16(r): Clements noted that this is one of the reliefs from the Hadrianeum, part of the north east side of which is still standing in the Piazza di Pietra. It is now in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori and was probably there when Wilson drew it, hence the inscription.
Previous Cat/Ref Nos
Object ID: 6363
Bibliography
Sutton & Clements 1968, vol. 1, pp. 14-15; vol. 2, p. 35
More Information
Only two sketchbooks by Wilson have survived - the present one (D280-D280/33) and D53-D53/81 Studies and Designs by R. Wilson done in Rome in the Year MDCCLII, Victoria & Albert Museum, London (E.3586-1922).