St Peter's and the Vatican from the Janiculum, Rome, 1757-1764 by Richard Wilson ::

Details

Date

1757-1764

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on canvas

Dimensions

70.5 x 132.0 cm stretcher; 94.0 x 155.0 x 10.0 cm frame

Signature & date

Signed l.l., black paint "RW" [in monogram]. Not dated.

Credit

Purchased 1970

Location

South Building, ground level, Grand Courts

Accession number

25.1971

Copyright

Reproduction requests

Artist information

Richard Wilson

Works in the collection

1

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About

Richard Wilson’s time in Italy between 1750 and
1757 marked a decisive change in his career. After
working for many years as a portrait painter in
London, he decided to devote himself exclusively to
landscape painting. His main source of inspiration
was the 17th-century classical landscape tradition of
Claude Lorrain and the natural surroundings of Rome
where Claude had worked.

This view is taken from a point on the Janiculum Hill.
On the left are the buildings surrounding the Piazza
San Pietro, while on the right the prospect extends to
Monte Soratte. The painting is a replica of an earlier
version by Wilson commissioned by the wealthy
Antiguan sugar plantation and slave owner William
Young (1725–88), who was then setting himself up as
a country gentleman in Standlynch House, Wiltshire.

Exhibition history

Shown in 3 exhibitions

European painting 16th to 19th centuries and Australian paintings of the 19th century, The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, 10 Sep 1979 -

European painting 16th to 19th centuries and Australian paintings of the 19th century, State Hermitage Museum, Russia, 04 Dec 1979–18 Feb 1980
European Old Masters 16th-19th Century from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, , 28 Sep 2017–03 Dec 2017
Grand Courts collection rehang, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Nov 2021–2023

Bibliography

Referenced in 20 publications

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales picturebook, Sydney, 1972, p 14, col illus p 14.
Adrian Bury, Richard Wilson RA, the grand classic, Leigh-on-Sea, 1947, pl 26.
Edmund Capon AM, OBE and Jan Meek (Editors), Portrait of a Gallery, 'European art in the old courts', Sydney, 1984, pp 14–23: pp 22–23.
W G Constable, Richard Wilson, London, 1953, pp 75, 165, 220, illus fig 111a.
W G Constable, Burlington Magazine,vol 96, no 614, 'Richard Wilson: some pentimenti', London, May 1954, pp 139–47: p 147.
Brinsley Ford, Burlington Magazine, vol 94, no 596, 'Richard Wilson in Rome: II – The Claudean landscapes', London, Nov 1952, p 312.
William Forster, British gallery of engravings from pictures of the Italian, Flemish, Dutch and English schools..., London, 1807, np.
Renée Free, Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, 'European', Sydney, 1988, pp 36–56: p 38.
Renée Free, Art Gallery of New South Wales catalogue of British paintings, Sydney, 1987, p 214, illus p 214.
Peter Tomory and Robert Gaston, European Paintings before 1800 in Australian and New Zealand public collections, Sydney, 1989, p 52, no 142, illus p 52.
Art and Australia, vol 10, no 1, Art Gallery of New South Wales special number, Sydney, Jul 1972, pp 63–75: p 63.
Master paintings: recent acquisitions, London, 1976, p 40, under no 49.
The Tate Gallery 1974–6: illustrated catalogue of acquisitions, London, 1978, p 43. the illustration on p 22 captioned as Wilson is in fact Glover no 59.1975.
Art Gallery of New South Wales trustees' minutes 1979, Sydney, 1979, p 9129 (22 June ).
Art Gallery of New South Wales annual report 1979, Sydney, 1979, p 22.
European painting 16th to 19th centuries and Australian painting of the 19th century [in Russian], Moscow, 1979-1980, np, no 39.
Art Gallery of New South Wales annual report 1971, Sydney, 1971, p 5.
Art Gallery of New South Wales trustees' minutes 1971, Sydney, 1971, p 7404 (26 Mar).
Art Gallery of New South Wales trustees' minutes 1970, Sydney, 1970, pp 7323–24 (24 July), p 7329 (28 Sep).
Illustrated catalogue of the extensive collections of highly valuable paintings.... from the widely known Blakeslee Galleries...on the evening herein stated, New York, 21 Apr 1915-23 Apr 1915, np, no 186, illus.

Provenance

Sir William Young, 1757-1764, Wiltshire/England, Painted for Sir William Young (1725–88), Standlynch House, Wiltshire, between 1757 and 1764. Presumably his sale, Prestage, Standlynch House, 16 July 1764

Hussey family, 1764-1910, William Hussey MP (1724–1813), Upper Eldon, Hampshire, and Salisbury, Wiltshire; by descent to William Hussey; purchased from him by Sulley & Co, London, 1910.

Sulley and Co., London, 1910, London/England, Purchased from William Hussey, London, 1910.

American Art Association, pre 22 Apr 1915, United States of America, Blakeslee Galleries sale, American Art Association, Plaza Hotel, New York, 21–23 Apr 1915, 2nd day, no 186 ('Rome and the Campagna'). Purchased at this sale for $1500 by F Ward.

F. Ward, 22 Apr 1915-pre 1953, on loan to National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington DC, by 1953

Leggatt Bros., London, pre 09 Dec 1969, London/England, Purchased by Agnew's, London, 9 Dec 1969.

Agnew's, London, 09 Dec 1969-21 Jul 1970, London/England, Purchased by the AGNSW from Agnew's 1970.