Title
[Studies of six rowing boats].
Creator
Fontana, Carlo, 1634-1714, artist.
Publication details
[1694]
Physical details
1 drawing : ink and wash ; sheet 19.4 x 27 cm
Description
The upper part of the drawing contains four studies of rowing boats, and beneath them two further boats at left and five rows of oarsmen arranged in decreasing order starting with five at the top, at right. Annotated in brown ink on recto with numbers 22-31. Boats nos. 25 and 27 have been amended by pasting pieces of paper to replace their original stern and prow.
Place
Civitavecchia (Italy)
Additional information
Bound in one of the three volumes of drawings by Carlo Fontana formerly in the collection of Cardinal Albani, acquired by James Adam for George III in 1762 and later transferred to his Geographical Collections. On same page as system no. 016600904. The drawings are preceded by a blank page annotated: 'Drawn Sketches of Civita Vecchia, its ancient Buildings & Neighbouring Country by Fontana 1694'. According to Allan Braham and Hellmut Hager, 'the drawings were probably intended for publication as illustrations in a book which Fontana contemplated writing on the subject of primitive boats ('La Nautica'). This book was never printed, but Fontana appended an analysis of such boats to the short unillustrated book he published in 1710 on Porto d'Anzio, Antio e sue Antichita_'. Related drawings are kept at Windsor and listed in the inventory of Cardinal Pamphili (see Braham, A., and Hager, H., Carlo Fontana: The Drawings at Windsor Castle, London, 1977, p. 132).
Shelfmark
118.e.14.