Hugh William 'Grecian' Williams (? Devon 1773-1829 Edinburgh)
Hugh William 'Grecian' Williams (? Devon 1773-1829 Edinburgh)

An extensive view of Thebes, Greece

細節
Hugh William 'Grecian' Williams (? Devon 1773-1829 Edinburgh)
An extensive view of Thebes, Greece
signed 'H.W. Williams/Edinh' (lower right)
pencil and watercolour with gum arabic and with scratching out
19¾ x 27½ in. (50.2 x 69.8 cm.)
來源
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 17 October 2001, lot 15.
刻印
The artist for Select Views in Greece with Classical Illustrations, London, 1823, I, no. 6.

榮譽呈獻

Benjamin Peronnet
Benjamin Peronnet

查閱狀況報告或聯絡我們查詢更多拍品資料

登入
瀏覽狀況報告

拍品專文

Similar to a watercolour by Williams of the same view in the Benaki Museum, Athens (no. 25194), dated 1819, the present lot depicts the city of Thebes, at one time a major rival to Athens, in a particularly Claudian manner.

On visiting Thebes in 1839 the Reverend S.S. Wilson, overwhelmed by the history of the area, exclaimed 'What a sight! What vivid recollections! There, Homer's chivalric bands had fought, and sinned and bled. There, many a bard had sung, many a hero had multiplied widows and orphans...There, inspired apostles had taught 'the glorious gospel'' (F.-M. Tsigakou, The Rediscovery of Greece, London, 1981, p.71).

For further information on Williams see lot 181.