Northern façade of the Monastry of S. Giovanni a Carbonara, Naples, Italy

Details

John Ruskin, H.R.W.S. (1819-1900)
Northern façade of the Monastry of S. Giovanni a Carbonara, Naples, Italy
with inscription 'Northern Façade of the Monastry/of S. Giovanni a Carbonara/by Fernando san Felice/replaced by police barracks in 19th century./drawn by Ruskin in 1841.' (on a label attached to the back of the frame)
pencil, pen and brown ink and grey and yellow wash, on buff paper
12 x 18 in. (30.5 x 45.7 cm.)

Provenance

R.E. Cunliffe;
Mrs Cunliffe and by descent.
with Agnew's, London, 1964, where purchased by John Byng Kenrick, £300.

Literature

J. Ruskin, Poetry of Architecture, 1893, p. 118, illustrated. E.T. Cook and A. Wedderburn, eds, The Works of John Ruskin (Library Edition), vol. I, London, 1903-12, p. 388, illustrated.
E.T. Cook and A. Wedderburn, catalogue of Ruskin drawings, no. 1179.

Exhibited

Ruskin, Royal Watercolour Society, 1901, no. 251.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

This drawing must date from between 4 January-25 February 1841, when Ruskin was staying in Naples with his family as part of a long Italian tour intended to improve his health. He made about twelve large drawings of Naples, all with highly detailed draughtsmanship and the effective combination of yellow and brown washes and white heightening. In the use of this technique, Ruskin was influenced by a group of drawings by David Roberts he had admired.

Ruskin was to look back on the drawings of this period with satisfaction, describing them as 'entirely certain and delicate in pencil touch ... living and like, from corner to corner' (Works, XXXV, p. 296).

We are grateful to J.S. Dearden for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.

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