Richard Wilson, 1713/4–1782, British, active in Italy (1750–56)
Title:
The Via Nomentana
Date:
1754
Materials & Techniques:
Black and white chalk with stumping on medium, moderately textured, gray laid paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 10 7/8 x 16 5/8 inches (27.6 x 42.2 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1977.14.4656
Gallery Label:
The Via Nomentana runs northeast from Rome to Nomentum (present-day Mentana) and the Alban Hills to the south are visible in the distance of Wilson’s drawing. The present view is taken from about two miles outside the Porta Pia, at the bridge across the Fosso della Cecchina. Visible in the middle distance is the bridge across the Aniene (Anio) that was the subject of an independent Dartmouth drawing (cat. 68). The Via Nomentana was fringed with a number of ancient monuments that Wilson drew, including the so-called Sedia del Diavolo, and was a popular place for walks and picnicking during the eighteenth century. Rather than focusing on a specific monument, Wilson’s view shows the proximity of the Roman Campagna and the series of hills that fringe the city. Jonathan Yarker Gallery label for Richard Wilson and the Transformation of European Landscape Painting (Yale Center for British Art, 2014-03-06 - 2014-06-01)
