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Lot Essay
This panorama of Naples shows from the left the Castel del Ovo, with Cape Posillipo behind, the ridge of Pizzofalcone, the Castel Nuovo, with the Certosa di San Martino and the Castel Sant'Elmo on the hill behind, the harbour and Cellamare. The forefront of this painting shows the L-shaped Porto Grande with the old Batteria del Mulo.
Butler was one of the first of many foreign view painters to follow Vanvitelli’s example in settling, at least for a time, in Naples. Until recently, all that was known of his work was a set of six impressive Neapolitan views in the Harrach Collection at Schloss Rohrau, near Vienna. Acquired by Aloys Thomas Raimund Graf Harrach, Austrian Viceroy in Naples 1728-1733, five of those are signed and dated between 1730 and 1733.
The picture should be compared with the View of Naples with the English Fleet from the sea sold at Christie’s London on July 5th 2011, lot 51, for £ 217,000.
Butler was one of the first of many foreign view painters to follow Vanvitelli’s example in settling, at least for a time, in Naples. Until recently, all that was known of his work was a set of six impressive Neapolitan views in the Harrach Collection at Schloss Rohrau, near Vienna. Acquired by Aloys Thomas Raimund Graf Harrach, Austrian Viceroy in Naples 1728-1733, five of those are signed and dated between 1730 and 1733.
The picture should be compared with the View of Naples with the English Fleet from the sea sold at Christie’s London on July 5th 2011, lot 51, for £ 217,000.