drawing;
album
- Museum number
- Nn,2.6
- Description
-
Part of the Ancient Roman wall between Porta Salaria and Porta Pinciana, formerly part of an album; foreground in shadow cast by high wall on left, tall umbrella trees on right with gateway where figures enter. 1780
Pen and grey ink with grey wash and watercolour
- Production date
- 1780
- Dimensions
-
Height: 207 millimetres
-
Width: 271 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- From album NN,02.1-32
See Nn,1.1 for information about the Towne albums as a whole.
For the inscription, see: Richard Stephens, 'Francis Towne's Views of Rome', British Art Journal, X, no. 3, 2010, p. 48 (repro. fig. 4), where he notes that an oil versio of this drawing was exhibited at the Royal Academy as 'View at Rome - afternoon' (in 1800, no. 169, painting now in the Royal Exeter Museum).
The following label was written by Richard Stephens for the Towne exhibition in 2016:
In Rome, in addition to his already copious inscriptions Towne began noting the time of day on the backs of drawings - here 'from 3 O Clock till 1/2 past 5 in the afternoon.' Rome's timekeeping system, which was based closely on the movements of the sun, confused many visitors. It changed time zones often, and used a different numbering system than in England. Towne's inscriptions adhered to the English system he was more familiar with.
This sketch was the basis for one of Towne's Royal Academy exhibits of 1800.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
2016 Jan-Aug, BM, 'Light, Time, Legacy: Francis Towne's watercolours of Rome' (no catalogue)
- Acquisition date
- 1816
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- Nn,2.6
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 1972,U.604