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Baths of Diocletian

Maker

(artist)
1714-1782

Title

Baths of Diocletian

Date of Production

1754

Medium

black and white chalk with stumping on laid paper, prepared with a light blue wash in the sky areas, laid down on artist's original lilac wash mount (examined under microscope)

Dimensions

Height: 27.8 cm
Width: 42 cm

Accession Number

D.2007.DS.51

Mode of Acquisition

Dorothy Scharf, bequest, 2007 (March)

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

bathhouses

Label Text

Richard Wilson was the first significant British artist to travel to Italy. This view of the largest of the imperial baths is one of an important set of Roman landscapes commissioned by the 2nd Earl of Dartmouth. These drawings were based on sketches made on the spot. The use of black and white chalks, blended with a stump, over grey paper enabled Wilson to focus on ‘the principles of light and shade’ — in his eyes, a fundamental task of landscape painters. The dark foreground figures add depth to the composition.

Notes

One of a series of drawings commissioned by William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth (1731-1801). Of the original 68 drawings in the series, now only 25 can be traced. They can be recognised by their distinctive lilac mounts, on which the artist affixed white labels bearing their titles. The numbers at lower right are their numbers within Dartmouth's collection.

Provenance

commissioned by William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth (1731-1801); Earl of Dartmouth sale, Christie's (London), 29 January 1954, lot 9; purchased there by Thomas Agnew & Sons (London) (230 guineas); purchased there by Miss Dorothy Scharf, London (1942-2004); Scharf Bequest 2007

Exhibition History

British Watercolours from the Scharf Bequest, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 15/10/2008-01/01/2009

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: centre (unable to tell if is in drawing sheet or mount): circle containing a fleur-de-lis (appears to be symbol above but cannot make out).

Inscription: Mount (Artist’s), Recto, all in artist’s hand: upper right, currently hidden under the drawing but just visible via transmitted light, pen and ink: currently illegible, though appears to end with “No. 7”; lower left corner, black chalk, signed and dated: “R.W.f. Roma. 1754.”; on white label attached to lower centre edge, brown ink: “Baths / of / Dioclesian.”; lower right corner, black chalk: “No. 7”. Mount (Artist’s), Verso: upper left corner, graphite: “7393”; upper right corner, both in graphite: “48” and “75”; lower left corner, graphite, current acc. no.: “DS.51”.

Collector's mark: none.

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