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拍品專文
In July 1765 William Marlow left from England for Italy where he stayed for a year. His itinerary is well documented by paintings and drawings although none is dated. An unsigned obituary notice of 14 January 1813 stated that he 'went on his travels to France and Italy in 1765 by the advice of the late Duchess of Northumberland' and a large group of oil paintings in the Northumberland collection at Alnwick Castle would appear to support this assertion. The collection of sketches and drawings that Marlow made in Italy, as well as paintings and watercolours that he executed on his return to England, indicate that he visited Venice, Florence, Rome, the Campagna, and Naples and its environs. From the sketches that he made Marlow subsequently worked up pen and ink drawings from which his patrons in England ordered versions in either oil or watercolours.
This picture is one of four known versions of this subject in oil, based on sketches which Marlow had made in Italy. Of the other three, a version of smaller format (25 x 36 in.) originally in the collection of the Dukes of Rutland, having descended from Charles, 4th Duke of Rutland, one of Marlow's patrons, was sold at Christie's, 6 November 1956, as lot 139, and was then sold at Sotheby's on 21 March 1979, as lot 124. Another, also of smaller format (20 x 29in.), was with Martyn Gregory in 1979 (catalogue 21 no.28). The third, of similar scale to the present composition (33 x 58in.), was sold at Sotheby's on 17 July 1974, lot 20. Pen and ink drawings of the composition, made in Italy, were included in a group of drawings by the artist sold at Christie's on 14 July 1987 as lot 30, listed in the catalogue entry under number 4. One of these is a summary pen and ink composition study (on the reverse of a drawing, of Rome: The Tiber with St. Peter's and Castel Sant'Angelo'). The other, which is pen and ink over pencil, is almost identical to the present composition although omitting the figures and the carts etc.. Marlow exhibited pictures entitled View Near Naples at the Society of Artists in 1767, 1768 (A view near Naples; part of Monte Pausilipo), 1773, 1774, and 1776, and at the Royal Academy in 1792. This picture is thought likely to be one of those exhibited in the 1770s.
We are grateful to Michael Liversidge for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
This picture is one of four known versions of this subject in oil, based on sketches which Marlow had made in Italy. Of the other three, a version of smaller format (25 x 36 in.) originally in the collection of the Dukes of Rutland, having descended from Charles, 4th Duke of Rutland, one of Marlow's patrons, was sold at Christie's, 6 November 1956, as lot 139, and was then sold at Sotheby's on 21 March 1979, as lot 124. Another, also of smaller format (20 x 29in.), was with Martyn Gregory in 1979 (catalogue 21 no.28). The third, of similar scale to the present composition (33 x 58in.), was sold at Sotheby's on 17 July 1974, lot 20. Pen and ink drawings of the composition, made in Italy, were included in a group of drawings by the artist sold at Christie's on 14 July 1987 as lot 30, listed in the catalogue entry under number 4. One of these is a summary pen and ink composition study (on the reverse of a drawing, of Rome: The Tiber with St. Peter's and Castel Sant'Angelo'). The other, which is pen and ink over pencil, is almost identical to the present composition although omitting the figures and the carts etc.. Marlow exhibited pictures entitled View Near Naples at the Society of Artists in 1767, 1768 (A view near Naples; part of Monte Pausilipo), 1773, 1774, and 1776, and at the Royal Academy in 1792. This picture is thought likely to be one of those exhibited in the 1770s.
We are grateful to Michael Liversidge for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.