Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome
Maker
(artist)
1752-1797
1752-1797
Title
Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome
Date of Production
1780
Medium
graphite, pen and grey ink, grey wash and watercolour with scratching out on laid paper, laid down on the artist's wash mount
Dimensions
Height: 36.2 cm
Width: 52.8 cm
Width: 52.8 cm
Accession Number
D.1967.WS.31
Mode of Acquisition
William Wycliffe Spooner, bequest, 1967
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
Label Text
An imposing fortress and prison on the banks of the river Tiber, the Castel Sant’Angelo was a favourite subject for foreign artists working in Rome in the eighteenth century. Cozens has here stripped away incidental detail, emphasising instead the castle’s forbidding bulk and its reflection in the water. Cozens’s sombre palette and expressive, painterly handling of watercolour strongly influenced younger British artists.
Notes
This watercolour results from Cozens's first stay in Italy, from 1776-79. There is an etching of the same scene in reverse, alternatively attributed to John or his father (British Museum, 1858,0417.325), but which in either case seems to be related, either as a study for or after.
Provenance
Sir Thomas Barlow, Manchester (1883-1964); Guy D. Harvey Samuel, London (1887-1960); his property exhibited at Fine Art Society’s (London) Spring 1960 selling exhibition; purchased there by Mr and Mrs William Wycliffe Spooner, Ilkley (1882-1967), 27 April 1960 (£1750); Spooner Bequest 1967
Exhibition History
Fortieth exhibition - early English water-colours and drawings., Fine Art Society, London, 1960 (Spring)
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
British Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Huntington Museum and Art Gallery, Los Angeles, 12/02/2005-15/05/2005
British Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Huntington Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 12/02/2005-15/05/2005; Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere, 18/07/2005-23/10/2005; Hermitage Rooms, Somerset House, London, 16/11/2005-12/02/2006
About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992
Travels in Italy, 1776-1783: based on the Memoirs of Thomas Jones, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 07/10/1988-10/12/1988
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/09/1986-30/11/1986; The Drawing Center, New York, 08/04/1986-26/07/1986
Mantegna to Cezanne - Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 24/02/1983-19/06/1983
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/06/1979-01/09/1979
English Landscape Drawing and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/05/1977-01/06/1977
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1974
English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 11/05/1973-02/06/1973
Watercolours by John Robert Cozens, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 06/03/1971-12/04/1971; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 22/04/1971-16/05/1971
Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner
Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/04/1968-01/07/1968 ...Less
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
British Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Huntington Museum and Art Gallery, Los Angeles, 12/02/2005-15/05/2005
British Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Huntington Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 12/02/2005-15/05/2005; Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere, 18/07/2005-23/10/2005; Hermitage Rooms, Somerset House, London, 16/11/2005-12/02/2006
About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992
Travels in Italy, 1776-1783: based on the Memoirs of Thomas Jones, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 07/10/1988-10/12/1988
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/09/1986-30/11/1986; The Drawing Center, New York, 08/04/1986-26/07/1986
Mantegna to Cezanne - Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 24/02/1983-19/06/1983
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/06/1979-01/09/1979
English Landscape Drawing and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/05/1977-01/06/1977
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1974
English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 11/05/1973-02/06/1973
Watercolours by John Robert Cozens, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 06/03/1971-12/04/1971; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 22/04/1971-16/05/1971
Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner
Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/04/1968-01/07/1968 ...Less
Literature
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
pp. 184-86
The Spooner Collection of British Watercolours, Courtauld Institute Galleries; Huntington Library; Wordsworth Trust, 2005-06
cat. no. 28
ill. on p. 129
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 30
pp. 68, 178
ill. on p. 69 ...More
Travels in Italy, 1776-1783: based on the Memoirs of Thomas Jones, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 1988
cat. no. 9
ill. on p. 14
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 184
ill. on p. 185
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 84
ill. on p. 193
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
no. 83, p. 72
ill. on p. 89
Wilton, Andrew, The art of Alexander and John Robert Cozens, New Haven 1980
p. 23 under no. 3
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1979
cat. no. 25
English Landscape Drawing and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1977
cat. no. 6
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1974
cat. no. 9
English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 1973
cat. no. 17
ill. (unpag.)
Watercolours by John Robert Cozens, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester and V&A, London, 1971, 1971
cat. no. 19
Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969
cat. no. 24
Troutman, Philip, 'The Evocation of Atmosphere in the English Water-colour' in Apollo, July 1968
p. 51
pl. 2
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1968
cat. no. 10
Bell, C.F. and Thomas Girtin, The 23rd volume of the Walpole Society 1934-1935. The drawings and sketches of John Robert Cozens, Oxford: University Press, 1935
no. 117 ...Less
pp. 184-86
The Spooner Collection of British Watercolours, Courtauld Institute Galleries; Huntington Library; Wordsworth Trust, 2005-06
cat. no. 28
ill. on p. 129
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 30
pp. 68, 178
ill. on p. 69 ...More
Travels in Italy, 1776-1783: based on the Memoirs of Thomas Jones, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 1988
cat. no. 9
ill. on p. 14
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 184
ill. on p. 185
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 84
ill. on p. 193
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
no. 83, p. 72
ill. on p. 89
Wilton, Andrew, The art of Alexander and John Robert Cozens, New Haven 1980
p. 23 under no. 3
English Landscape Drawings and Watercolours, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1979
cat. no. 25
English Landscape Drawing and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1977
cat. no. 6
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1974
cat. no. 9
English Watercolours: The Spooner Collection and Bequest, City Art Gallery, Bristol, 1973
cat. no. 17
ill. (unpag.)
Watercolours by John Robert Cozens, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester and V&A, London, 1971, 1971
cat. no. 19
Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969
cat. no. 24
Troutman, Philip, 'The Evocation of Atmosphere in the English Water-colour' in Apollo, July 1968
p. 51
pl. 2
The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1968
cat. no. 10
Bell, C.F. and Thomas Girtin, The 23rd volume of the Walpole Society 1934-1935. The drawings and sketches of John Robert Cozens, Oxford: University Press, 1935
no. 117 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: centre: Strasburg lily.
Artist’s Mount, Verso: centre: “J WHATMAN”.
Inscription: Recto: lower edge, left of centre, black ink, signed and dated by the artist: “Jn.o Cozens 1780.”. Artist’s Mount, Verso: upper centre, graphite: “£ 1j [? definitely not “40” as in the file]”; lower centre, graphite: “J” traced over the watermark; lower centre edge, graphite, “Rome” underlined: “Castle of St. Angelo Rome / J:R Cozens 1780”.
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower edge, left of centre, black ink, signed and dated by the artist: “Jn.o Cozens 1780.”. Artist’s Mount, Verso: upper centre, graphite: “£ 1j [? definitely not “40” as in the file]”; lower centre, graphite: “J” traced over the watermark; lower centre edge, graphite, “Rome” underlined: “Castle of St. Angelo Rome / J:R Cozens 1780”.
Collector's mark: none.
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