11th Dec, 2024 12:00
Fine Paintings & Works on Paper
3
GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI (ITALIAN 1720-1778)
THE TOMB OF PLAUTII, NEAR THE PONTE LUCANO
etching on heavy ivory laid paper
62 x 46.5cm; 24 1/2 x 18 1/4in
86.5 x 71cm; 34 x 28in (framed)
Property from a Private Collector, West London
Provenance
Acquired by the uncle of the present owner circa 1970
Literature
Piranesi, Vedute Di Roma Disegnate Ed Incise Da Giambattista Piranesi, circa. 1747-1766, pl. 83, illustrated
Henri Focillon, Giovanni-Battista Piranesi: Essai de catalogue raisonné de son oeuvre, Paris, 1964, no. 783
John Wilton-Ely, Giambattista Piranesi, The Complete Etchings, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, vol. I, 1994, no. 1014, illustrated
Executed circa 1760-69 and published 1800-07, the present work depicts the tomb of Lucanus Plautius from circa 10-14 AD, after whom the adjacent bridge over the river Aniene was named. The view is one of a series of etchings that Piranesi featured in his seminal Vedute di Roma (Views of Rome) that occupied the last thirty years of his life. Piranesi’s popular Vedute, which eclipsed earlier views of Roman landmarks through their dynamic compositions, bold lighting effects, and dramatic presentation, shaped European conceptions of the city.
One of the greatest printmakers of the eighteenth century, Piranesi always considered himself an architect. The son of a stonemason and master builder, he received practical training in structural and hydraulic engineering from a maternal uncle who was employed by the Venetian waterworks, and a thorough schooling in perspective and stage design, while his brother, a Carthusian monk, fired the aspiring architect with enthusiasm for the history and achievements of the ancient Romans. Although Piranesi had limited success in attracting architectural commissions, this diverse training was instrumental in establishing his reputation as a graphic artist.
Sold for £420
THE TOMB OF PLAUTII, NEAR THE PONTE LUCANO
etching on heavy ivory laid paper
62 x 46.5cm; 24 1/2 x 18 1/4in
86.5 x 71cm; 34 x 28in (framed)
Property from a Private Collector, West London
Provenance
Acquired by the uncle of the present owner circa 1970
Literature
Piranesi, Vedute Di Roma Disegnate Ed Incise Da Giambattista Piranesi, circa. 1747-1766, pl. 83, illustrated
Henri Focillon, Giovanni-Battista Piranesi: Essai de catalogue raisonné de son oeuvre, Paris, 1964, no. 783
John Wilton-Ely, Giambattista Piranesi, The Complete Etchings, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, vol. I, 1994, no. 1014, illustrated
Executed circa 1760-69 and published 1800-07, the present work depicts the tomb of Lucanus Plautius from circa 10-14 AD, after whom the adjacent bridge over the river Aniene was named. The view is one of a series of etchings that Piranesi featured in his seminal Vedute di Roma (Views of Rome) that occupied the last thirty years of his life. Piranesi’s popular Vedute, which eclipsed earlier views of Roman landmarks through their dynamic compositions, bold lighting effects, and dramatic presentation, shaped European conceptions of the city.
One of the greatest printmakers of the eighteenth century, Piranesi always considered himself an architect. The son of a stonemason and master builder, he received practical training in structural and hydraulic engineering from a maternal uncle who was employed by the Venetian waterworks, and a thorough schooling in perspective and stage design, while his brother, a Carthusian monk, fired the aspiring architect with enthusiasm for the history and achievements of the ancient Romans. Although Piranesi had limited success in attracting architectural commissions, this diverse training was instrumental in establishing his reputation as a graphic artist.
Auction: Fine Paintings & Works on Paper, 11th Dec, 2024
Auction Location: London, UK
Our sale of Fine Paintings and Works on Paper features 80 lots spanning four centuries. It includes works from two significant deceased estates: art dealer Alexander Iolas who promoted the bright and playful works by Jean Hugo and Niki de Sainte Phalle (lots 44-52), and gallerist Karsten Schubert, led by a green revolver on a vibrant red background by Michael Craig-Martin (lot 53), currently the subject of a retrospective at the Royal Academy, Piccadilly.
Colour dominates many of the post-War works. A stripe painting by the leading Washington Colour Field artist Gene Davis is a sale highlight. Davis worked alongside Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland also from D.C. in the 1950s and ‘60s perfecting his distinctive style. 65-6 by Davis (lot 58) dances and rhymes before the viewer’s eye. From the same collection and similarly optical are the works by Joe Tilson (lot 60) from 1965, and a rare painting by Justin Knowles (lot 59). Fellow colourist Howard Hodgkin is represented by Here we are in Croydon from 1979 (lot 63).
Modern British is led by an attractive group of watercolours by John Nash (lots 34-37), all acquired from the artist by the present owner’s grandfather. Other British figurative painters featured in the sale include Alan Lowdnes with a street scene in Altrincham near Manchester (lot 40), and three sketches by the young Michael Andrews (lots 41-43). Elsewhere there are works by John Piper and humorous illustrations by graphic artists Ronald Searle and Quentin Blake (lots 71 & 72).
Artists from further afield include two 18th/ 19th century Cuzco paintings from Peru and good Australian examples: a watercolour by John Russell of the Pont de Neuilly, and an atmospheric painting of a dust storm in the New South Wales out back by John Charles Goodhart of 1907 capturing a storm that year (lots 31 & 38). ‘en plein-air’-ists in the sale include Otto Modersohn, co-founder of Worpswede school in Bavaria in the 1890s (lot 19) and three delightful paintings of children by Scottish painter Gemmel Hutchison, influenced by Barbizon in France and the Hague School in Holland (lots 27, 28 & 30).
For more information please contact us | pictures@olympiaauctions.com | +44 (0)20 7806 5541
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 8th December: 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Monday 9th December: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Tuesday 10th December: 10:00am to 5:00pm
