Lot 20: An album of drawings by various hands compiled circa 1840, mostly of the environs of Naples

An album of drawings by various hands compiled circa 1840, mostly of the environs of Naples
compiled circa 1840, mostly of the environs of Naples
subjects including: a signed view of Santa Lucia by Carl Wilhelm Gotzloff; a study of figures by Anton Sminck Pitloo; a large group of sketches attributed to Giacinto Gigante; a group of 32 views of Sorrento, Salerno and Castelamare from circa 1838; several ink drawings on tracing paper of Posilipo, Pozzuoli, Portici and Naples, around 190 in all
mostly pencil, various sizes (album).

Footnotes

• The study of figures by Pitloo is in pencil and watercolour on tracing paper, the reverse is inscribed by an English hand 'The original of this Pitloo gave to Leech an English artist and traced this for himself'. It is possible that the artist referred to is William Leighton Leitch who travelled to the continent in 1833 and spent an extended period in Italy, returning to England in 1837. The album appears to have been compiled by an English traveller around 1840. The earliest watermarked sheet has a date of 1821 but the large series of pencil views of the Neapolitan coast on the opening pages are on Whatman paper, some of which are dated 1836 and 1837. This series is inscribed in English, suggesting the drawings may have been done by the owner of the album, but the majority of the rest seem to be by various continental hands and were probably purchased during his or her visit to Italy. Particularly interesting is the large number of drawings of figures and coastal views ascribed to Gigante which have the look of on-the-spot sketches.