Description
Creator
Francis Towne (1739 - 1816)
Title(s)
  • Blasted Pine Tree in the Villa Mondragone, Frascati
Date
1781
Medium
Pencil, pen and grey ink, grey wash
Dimensions
  • image width 312mm,
  • image length 211mm
Inscription
  • sheet, verso
  • “No.58 Blasted pine Tree / in the Villa Dragona Frescati / Francis Towne / 1781”
  • in brown ink
Object Type
Monochrome wash

Catalogue Number
FT288
Description Sources
Examination; Christie's records (image)

Provenance

Bequeathed by the artist in 1816 to James White of Exeter (1744–1825), on whose death it passed to Towne’s residuary legatee John Herman Merivale (1779–1844) and his successors. Merivale’s granddaughters Maria Sophia Merivale (1853–1928) and Judith Ann Merivale (1860–1945), both of Oxford, inherited the drawing in May 1915 (BP20). Judith Merivale sold the drawing to Squire Gallery in February 1935 for £16 16s. (with BP209 [404]), which is probably where Sir Michael Ernest Sadler (1861–1943) bought it. His son Michael Thomas Harvey Sadleir (1888–1957) sold it to Agnew’s (no.4004) on 26 October 1944 for £45. On 28 November 1944 it was sold by Agnew’s for £70 less commission of £3 10s. to Sir William Worsley, Bt (1890–1973), whose family offered it for sale at Christie’s on 5 June 2003, lot 45, and again at Christie’s on 2 July 2013, where it was unsold on both occasions.

Associated People & Organisations

Private Collection
Christie's, London, London, 2 July 2013
Unsold
Christie's, London, London, 5 June 2003, lot 45
Unsold
Sir William Worsley (1890 - 1973), 28 November 1944, GBP 70
Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 26 October 1944, GBP 45, no.4004
Michael Thomas Harvey Sadleir (1888 - 1957)
Sir Michael Ernest Sadler (1861 - 1943)
Squire Gallery, February 1935, GBP 16.6s
Acquired with FT404
Judith Ann Merivale (1860 - 1945), Oxford, May 1915, BP20
Maria Sophia Merivale (1853 - 1928), Oxford, May 1915, BP20
John Herman Merivale (1779 - 1844), 1825
James White (1744 - 1825), Exeter, 1816
Exhibition History
[?] 67th Annual Exhibition of Water-Colour and Pencil Drawings, Thomas Agnew & Sons, 1940, no. 133 as 'Frascati (1781)'
Watercolours by Francis Towne, City Art Gallery, 1950, no. 16
English Watercolours from Four Yorkshire Houses 1660-1860, Scarborough Art Gallery, 1950, no. 12
Three Centuries of British Water-colours, Arts Council, 1951, no. 190
Bibliography
Adrian Bury, Francis Towne - Lone Star of Water-Colour Painting, Charles Skilton: London, 1962, p. 140
Timothy Wilcox, Francis Towne, Tate Publishing: London, 1997, p. 86

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