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Lot Essay
These two pictures were sold in these Rooms 10 March 1809 as part of the 'Very valuable and entire collection of Drawings, and Paintings in Oil, of Sir Robert Ainslie. The Whole of which were Executed by that Ingenious Artist, Mayer, for Sir Robert Ainslie, during his Travels in the Levant, his Residence at Constantinople, and his return from thence to England.' The series of twelve oil paintings, depicting sites in Tyndareus, was divided into three lots (nos. 4-6). The present pictures, being the tenth and the last in the series (as the numbers in the lower left indicate), were part of lot 6.
Tyndareus was one of the last Greek colonies in Sicily founded in 396 BC. by Dionysius I. The young Grand Tourist taking notes seated on a stone in the large cavern (close to the basilica) is likely to be Sir Robert Ainslie himself. Descended from the ancient Scottish family of Ainslie of Dolphington, and born circa 1730, he was appointed Ambassador to Constantinople in 1775 where he was reported to have been a close companion of the Sultan. Sir Robert Ainslie took advantage of his position in Constantinople to travel in the Mediterranean. His research embraced antiquities of various kinds, objects of natural history, and illustrations of the East. Three volumes of drawings were published, in the words of the dedication, 'under his auspices.' The first of these is entitled 'Views in Egypt, from the original drawings in possession of Sir Robert Ainslie, taken during his Embassy to Constantinople by Luigi Mayer etc.' and published in London in 1801. The collaboration with Luigi Mayer resulted in two further volumes published two years before Ainslie's death in 1812.
Five watercolours by Luigi Mayer depicting views of Tyndareus were sold at Sotheby's, London, 9 April 1992, lot 198.
Tyndareus was one of the last Greek colonies in Sicily founded in 396 BC. by Dionysius I. The young Grand Tourist taking notes seated on a stone in the large cavern (close to the basilica) is likely to be Sir Robert Ainslie himself. Descended from the ancient Scottish family of Ainslie of Dolphington, and born circa 1730, he was appointed Ambassador to Constantinople in 1775 where he was reported to have been a close companion of the Sultan. Sir Robert Ainslie took advantage of his position in Constantinople to travel in the Mediterranean. His research embraced antiquities of various kinds, objects of natural history, and illustrations of the East. Three volumes of drawings were published, in the words of the dedication, 'under his auspices.' The first of these is entitled 'Views in Egypt, from the original drawings in possession of Sir Robert Ainslie, taken during his Embassy to Constantinople by Luigi Mayer etc.' and published in London in 1801. The collaboration with Luigi Mayer resulted in two further volumes published two years before Ainslie's death in 1812.
Five watercolours by Luigi Mayer depicting views of Tyndareus were sold at Sotheby's, London, 9 April 1992, lot 198.