Lot 124: Simon-Joseph-Alexandre-Clément Denis Antwerp 1755 - 1813 Naples , A Waterfall in a Grotto at Tivoli

signed and inscribed in ink a Tivoly S. Denis f and numbered 6 (on verso) oil on paper

measurements 9 1/4 by 13 1/2 in. alternate measurements 23.5 by 34.3 cm.

In this oil sketch and the following (lot 125), Denis studies the effects of water cascading over the rocks and moss of the ancient caves of Tivoli, a subject to which the artist returned again and again.

Just as Denis was interested in capturing the ephemeral qualities of light and atmosphere, he would have felt drawn to the rushing, swirling torrents of these waterfalls, which offered him another avenue in which to capture the ever-changing natural world.