View of Piazza della Signoria in Florence

description below

A small audience sitting on benches on a tribune next to the equestrian statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici in Piazza della Signoria, watching a military parade of the guards of the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Lorena (1765-1790), son of the Empress Maria Theresa of Habsburg and brother of Joseph II. The soldiers, forming an L-shaped cordon and led by four battalion officers, are recognizable by their tricorns and the bayonets. At the center of the square, under the grand building of Palazzo Vecchio, stands a troop of drummers. Figures in the the foreground include a group of cavalrymen bearing a banner and followed by a cart on the right; a lady and gentleman waiting for a landau carriage at center; and a figure, maybe a soldier on look-out, watching the scene in Palazzo Uguccioni’s shadow on the left.

 

  • Creator: Patch, Thomas, 1725-1782, artist.
  • Title: [View of Piazza della Signoria in Florence with the Grand Duke’s military guard] [art original].
  • Production: [Florence], [not after 1782]

Catalog Record

Drawings P294 no. 1 Box D205

Acquired September 2022

A view of the falls on the Passaick

description below

“View of a waterfall in a canyon with forest surrounding, two small figures standing on the edge of rocks, sun rays piercing through the clouds.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of a later state.

  • Printmaker: Sandby, Paul, 1731-1809, printmaker, artist.
  • Title: A view of the falls on the Passaick, or Second River, in the province of New Jersey [graphic] : the height of the fall between eighty and ninety feet; the river about eighty yards broad = Vue de l’Cataracte du Passaick, ou Seconde Riviere, dans la province de Nouveau Jersey : la hauteur de cette chûte est de 80 à 90 pieds, et la largeur de la riviere d’environ 40 toises / sketch’d on the spot by His Excellency Governor Pownal ; painted & engraved by Paul Sandby.
  • Publication: London : Publish’d according to act of Parliament, 1761, by Thos. Jefferys, the corner of St. Martins Lane, [1761]

Catalog Record

761.00.00.34++

Acquired April 2023

Holyrood Chapel

description below

Interior view of the ruins of Holyrood Abbey, looking down the nave towards a wall with two arched windows. The building is mostly intact but without a roof; a broken column is seen in the center foreground. Figures with torches stand beneath the windows and additional figures are visible through an arched passageway on the right. The moon in the sky above is illuminated when the print is viewed in front of a strong light.

 

  • Title: Holyrood Chapel [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Published by Reeves and Sons, Cheapside; W. Morgan, 64, Hatton Garden; T. Fisher, 1, Hanway Street, Oxford Street; J. Reynolds, 174, Strand; and W. Wilson, Jun., 16, King William Street, City, [approximately 1840]

Catalog Record

830.00.00.165

Acquired October 2022

Sepolcro di Plautio

description below

View of tomb of the Plauzia family, near Tivoli, Italy

 

  • Printmaker: Whitby, Mary Anne Theresa, 1783-1850, printmaker, artist.
  • Title: Sepolcro di Plautio [graphic] / M.A.T. Whitby, litho., Newlands, 1826.
  • Publication: [Hampshire, England] : [privately printed], [1826]

Catalog Record

829.00.00.115

Acquired September 2022

The Wykeham or Winchester Tower. North west view

description below

View of Winchester Tower, Windsor Castle, from the north west; the Norman Gate in the background on the left; trees below the tower in the foreground.

  • Printmaker: Kernot, J. H., printmaker.
  • Title: The Wykeham or Winchester Tower. North west view [graphic] : part of the repairs, alterations and improvements of Windsor Castle, in the reigns of King George IV, King William IV, and Queen Victoria / Mich. Gandy, del. ; Sir Jeffry Wyatville, architect ; engraved by J.H. Kernot.
  • Edition: [Proof].
  • Publication: [London] : [John Weale], [1841]

Catalog record

Topos B513 no. 1+

Acquired August 2022

Grotto of Neptune

description below

Interior view of Neptune’s Grotto, the stalactite cave near Alghero on Sardinia that was discovered by fisherman in the eighteenth century and became a popular tourist site.

  • Printmaker: Whitby, Mary Anne Theresa, 1783-1850, printmaker, artist.
  • Title: Grotto of Neptune [graphic] / M.A.T.W., litho., Newlands, 1829.
  • Publication: [Hampshire, England] : [privately printed], [1829]

Catalog Record

829.00.00.116

Acquired September 2022

A view of the canal, Chinese building, rotunde, in Ranelagh Gardens

description below

A view of Ranelagh Gardens during a masquarade, with the revellers wearing masks. After a design by Canaletto. For an engraving of the same scene in reverse, published by Robert Sayer in 1752, see British Museum online catalogue, registration no.: 1880,1113.2450.

  • Title: A view of the canal, Chinese building, rotunde [sic], in Ranelagh Gardens, with masquarade [sic] [graphic] = Vüe du canal, du batiment chinois, de la rotunda, &c. des Jardins de Ranelagh, un jour de masquarade / […?] sculp.
  • Publication: [France?] : [publisher not identified], [ca. 1765]

Catalog Record

765.00.00.94+

Acquired April 2022

Archd. Robertson, print-seller and drawing-master

description below

“Trade card of Archibald Robertson, drawing master, at Savill Row Passage, adjoining Squib’s Auction Room; a street with Robertson’s shop to the right, figures on the pavement, an arched passageway at the end of the street; in oval with figures at the bottom corners; text below.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Creator: Robertson, Archibald, 1765-1835.
  • Title: Archd. Robertson, print-seller and drawing-master, in Savill Row Passage, adjoining Squib’s auction room [graphic] : sells great variety of Italian, French and Dutch prints and drawings; best Swiss-crayons, variety of drawing paper, port crayons, all sorts of Italian and French chalks …
  • Publication: [London] : [Archibald Robertson], [ca. 1777]

Catalog Record

File 66 777 R649

Acquired November 2021

View of the Twickenham bank of the Thames

description below

A view from Richmond of the Twickenham bank of the Thames, showing (left to right) Pope’s villa, Lady Ferrers’ summer house, Cross Deep, and Dr. Batty’s house (later Poulett Lodge).

  • Creator: Heckel, Augustin, approximately 1690-1770, artist.
  • Title: [View of the Twickenham bank of the Thames] [art original].
  • Production: [England], [ca. 1750]

Catalog Record

Drawings H448 no.1

Acquired February 2022

View at the entrance into Vaux Hall

description below

“View inside Vauxhall Gardens; the Grand Walk on the left looking down towards the obelisk; the orchestra to the right and pavillions on either side; elegantly dressed figures in gardens.”–British Museum online catalogue

  • Printmaker: Simpson, T., active 1763-1768, printmaker.
  • Title: View at the entrance into Vaux Hall [graphic] / S. Wale delin. ; T. Simpson sculp.
  • Publication: [London] : [Edward and Charles Dilly], [1766]

Catalog Record

766.00.00.70

Acquired October 2021