Untitled (Domodossola)
Samuel Prout
Description
Subject Matter:
This watercolor depicts a quiet square under a bright blue sky in the Italian city of Domodossola, situated in the Piedmont area of northern Italy near the border with Switzerland. The view was sketched by Samuel Prout, one of the leading English draughtsmen and watercolorists of his generation, who visited the city on September 7, 1824 on a tour of Italy. UMMA's watercolor is one of at least three watercolors of this scene that were later executed by Prout in England following his travels. The drawings and watercolors also served as a model for an engraving of the scene published in the "Landscape Annual" of 1830 and for a lithograph for "Sketches Made in France, Switzerland, and Italy" from 1839. Watercolorists such as Prout often produced multiple versions of the same scene, usually with differences in size and details, during the course of their careers. Versions of "Domodossola," for instance, were sold at exhibitions of the Old Watercolor Society in 1826, 1838, and 1845. UMMA's watercolor may be identified with the latter two, or may be an undocumented version of the subject.
Physical Description:
This small watercolor depicts a city square viewed through the arches of an arcade. A small group clusters next to one of the columns in the foreground, and a few other figures are scattered about the square along with a man leading a horse and cart.
Usage Rights:
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