Piazza with an Equestrian Monument and a Palace

c. 1810

Alessandro Sanquirico

Associated Names
Alessandro Sanquirico

Artist, Italian, 1780 - 1849

The image depicts a street-level view in the city, looking towards a wide open square surrounded by buildings. The horizon is low in the composition, aligned with the rooftops of the architecture. In the distance, a statue on a pedestal is visible in the center of the square. The brushstrokes are delicate and precise, with fine lines defining the architecture and washes adding depth to the sky and structures. The color palette is monochromatic, using black, gray, and white. Buildings frame the view, with one featuring a cornice on the left and another with arched windows and intricate detailing on the right, partially in shadow. The sky is filled with varying gray tones, suggesting cloud cover.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and black ink with gray wash over graphite, squared in graphite for transfer, on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 22.5 x 29.9 cm (8 7/8 x 11 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1994.9.2


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

J. Lawrence; (sale, Christie's, London, 26 June 1974, part of lot 65); Lodewijk Houthakker, Amsterdam (hand holding pen or brush, Lugt undescribed); (sale, Christie's, New York, 11 January 1994, no. 64); purchased 1994 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1976

  • De achtergrond belicht. Ontwepen voor het theater 1580-1800, 's-Hertogenbosch and Amsterdam, 1976, no. 74.

Bibliography

1989

  • Fuhring, Peter. Design into Art, Drawings for Architecture and Ornament: The Lodewijk Houthakker Collection. 2 vols. London, 1989: no. 947 (as Town Square with an Equestrian Statue).

Watermarks

Three crescents

Wikidata ID

Q64534033

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