John Robert Cozens

Possibly Sir William Forbes, 6^th Bt. (1739-1806)

In this large watercolour John Robert Cozens stands on the southern summit of Monte Mario at Villa Mellini. The villa was built in the mid fifteenth century for Cardinal Mellini and by the 18^th Century was popular with grand tourists, who were able to admire wonderful views of the enteral city from its tranquil gardens.

Beyond the terraced fields of the campagna, Cozens reveals the city in a soft, atmospheric light. Occupying a central position is the Castel Sant’ Angelo, while to the right stands the great dome of St Peters. Typically, Cozens elegantly balances his composition by including, on the left, an iconic umbrella pine and three cypress trees.

This watercolour is one of five known versions of this view, others are to be found in the British Museum, London, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, the Morgan Library, New York and in a private collection. 

Cozens first travelled to Italy in 1776, while in the company of the antiquarian Richard Payne Knight. By November of that year, the pair were in Rome and Cozens soon met up with fellow British artists, Ozias Humphrey, Henry Fuseli, William Pars and Thomas Jones. Captivated, he decided to stay and was to only return to England in April 1779.

In 1782 he embarked on a second tour to Italy, this time with the wealthy but melancholic collector, William Beckford. By July they had reached Rome but, as it was the height of the malarial season, the party moved quickly onto Naples. After a few months Cozens and Beckford went their separate ways and by December Cozens had returned to Rome, where he was to remain for almost a year. Volume one of Cozens’ so-called Beckford Sketchbook (The Whitworth Museum, Manchester) contains a rapid pencil and wash sketch of the Villa Mellini which is dated 1 July 1782.

Although it is not known when the present work entered the collection at Fettercairn, it is possible that it was acquired by Sir William Forbes, 6^th Bt (1739-1806) who made a grand tour with his wife in the early 1790s. The couple were briefly in Rome in late November, early December 1792 and returned for a longer stay between March and May 1793.¹

1. Ed. B. Ford, A Dictionary of British and Irish Travellers in Italy 1701-1800, New Haven 1997, p. 369