`St Cosimato and the Remains of the Claudian Aqueduct situated on the River Anio, 10 miles above Tivoli in the Apennines'

John `Warwick' Smith (1749-1831)
`St Cosimato and the Remains of the Claudian Aqueduct situated on the River Anio, 10 miles above Tivoli in the Apennines'

Signed on reverse of original washline mount: John Smyth 1797 and inscribed with the title
Watercolour over traces of pencil
39.2 by 57.3cm., 15 ½ by 22 ½ inches

John `Warwick' Smith spent five years in Italy, from 1776 until 1781. The large size and elaborate inscriptions on this and number 11 suggest that they were commissioned works. A view of the convent of St Cosimato by `Warwick' Smith was engraved in 1795 for his`Select Views of Italy', vol. I, pl.35. The present watercolour, drawn in 1797, may be a commission arising from the publication of the engraving. `Warwick' Smith description of the engraving is as follows:

`Near a mile higher up the river stands the convent of St. Cosimato, the subject of the present view. The situation is highly picturesque. The remains of an ancient aqueduct, now converted into a bridge to pass the Teverone, renders the scene still more romantic, and adds greatly to the value and beauty of the landscape.'

Provenance:
Private Collection, Gloucestershire until 2007