Near Santa Maria de' Monti, Naples
One of the most original eighteenth-century British landscapists, Jones lived in Italy from 1776 to 1783. While in Naples, he explored vistas along a remote road leading eastward toward the monastery of Santa Maria dei Monti and described the path in his diary as a "hollow Way [presenting] . . . the most beautiful Series of picturesque Objects . . . the Scenery that Salvator Rosa formed himself upon." This drawing, dated May 10, is one of about a dozen surviving studies made during repeated visits to the site between March and June 1781. Jones used chiaroscuro ink washes to describe the shaded rocky walls, overgrown with shrubbery, and to convey his moody response to the scene. Such studies were foundational to the artist’s developed compositions.
Artwork Details
- Title: Near Santa Maria de' Monti, Naples
- Artist: Thomas Jones (British, Trevonen, Wales 1742–1803 Pencerrig, Wales)
- Date: May 10, 1781
- Medium: Graphite, brush and gray wash and ink
- Dimensions: Sheet: 8 7/16 × 10 13/16 in. (21.5 × 27.5 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Robert Gordon Gift, 2008
- Object Number: 2008.95
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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