- 191
John Ruskin
Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
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Description
- John Ruskin
- Val Anzasca, Italy
- Watercolour over pencil, heightened with pen and brown ink and bodycolour on grey paper;
inscribed and dated lower left: Val Anzasca – August 12th - 160 by 225 mm
Provenance
With The Maas Gallery, London;
with The Martyn Gregory Gallery, London, 1988;
sale, London, Sotheby’s, 9 April 1992, lot 82
with The Martyn Gregory Gallery, London, 1988;
sale, London, Sotheby’s, 9 April 1992, lot 82
Exhibited
London, The Martyn Gregory Gallery, Early English Watercolours, 1988, no. 102
Literature
P. Conner, ‘John Ruskin in Italy in 1845: A Voyage of Discovery’, The Old Watercolour Society, vol. LXII, London 1991, fig. 8;
C. Shields et al, John Ruskin: Artist and Observer, London 2014, p. 266
C. Shields et al, John Ruskin: Artist and Observer, London 2014, p. 266
Condition
The watercolour pigments are very well preserved in this watercolour. The sheet too retains its original colour tone. There is a single foxmark at the top of the composition but this can only be seen on very close inspection.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Ruskin drew this work on the 12th August 1848. He was twenty-six years old and on his first tour of the Continent without his parents. He had left England on April 3rd and was not to return until November. Feeling liberated by his new found freedom and inspired by his surroundings, Ruskin produced some of the most imaginative and experimental work of his career on this extended tour.
The Val d'Anzasca is located in the Piedmontese Alps on the Swiss-Italian border. Ruskin made his way there in August, in order to spend the hottest weeks of the year in the mountains. Staying in the village of Macugnaga to the east of Zermatt, he was immediately struck by the beauty of the region. He wrote to his mother that 'the place was a perfect paradise [where] the air is crisp, clear and delicious'.1 Later in his life he credited his experiences there as setting him on a 'course of study which led [him] into fruitful thought.'2 Another drawing taken from the same viewpoint, but showing more of the valley, is in a private collection.3
1. P. Conner, op. cit., p. 37
2. Ibid.
3. C. Shields et al, op. cit., p. 266