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Lot Essay
Wilson travelled throughout Italy between 1750 and 1757 and it was during this expedition that he began focusing on landscape drawing. Much of his time in Italy was spent in Rome, illustrating sites associated with the Grand Tour. He travelled from Venice to Rome in the company of William Lock of Norbury, who became a friend and patron.
There are two comparable circular chalk drawings (Landscape with a volcano, probably Vesuvius (1756) and Landscape with a volcano crater, probably that of Vesuvius (1756), also from the collections of William Lock and of the banker and collector William Esdaile, in the Royal Academy, London. The sale of Esdaile's collection in these Rooms on 19 March 1838 included a large group of works by Wilson. Although it has not been possible to relate the present drawing to a specific lot in the sale, it is almost certain that it was included as one of a number of possible lots such as lot 615, 'An Italian river-scene; with a tower; brilliant', lot 619, 'An Italian temple, on a lake', or lot 629, 'A river-scene'. Although other drawings in the 'folio' sold in 1987 are stated to come from Lock and Esdaile, the early history of our drawing is not specified.
For a drawing by Wilson of Hounslow Heath, London, see lot 119.
There are two comparable circular chalk drawings (Landscape with a volcano, probably Vesuvius (1756) and Landscape with a volcano crater, probably that of Vesuvius (1756), also from the collections of William Lock and of the banker and collector William Esdaile, in the Royal Academy, London. The sale of Esdaile's collection in these Rooms on 19 March 1838 included a large group of works by Wilson. Although it has not been possible to relate the present drawing to a specific lot in the sale, it is almost certain that it was included as one of a number of possible lots such as lot 615, 'An Italian river-scene; with a tower; brilliant', lot 619, 'An Italian temple, on a lake', or lot 629, 'A river-scene'. Although other drawings in the 'folio' sold in 1987 are stated to come from Lock and Esdaile, the early history of our drawing is not specified.
For a drawing by Wilson of Hounslow Heath, London, see lot 119.