Naples
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775 - 1851
Summary
Landscape with a view of a city in a valley in the background seen from a high vantage view point. There is a castle on a hill in the background to the left. A line of soldiers travel along a path in the middle ground to the left and a group of women sit on a grassy knoll in the foreground facing towards a soldier stood to the left of the foreground who is gesturing into the distance. New research has revealed that this very late watercolour depicts Naples, with the Castel Sant'Elmo on its hill to the left, the city spread out below and the arches of the Ponti Rossi aqueduct bridges visible beyond the trees to the right. The uniform the soldiers wear identifies them as line infantry of the Carabinieri Reale, formed in the aftermath of the violent uprising in Naples in 1848, when the public protested against Kng Ferdinand II's betrayal of their hopes for reform. Turner's tranquil watercolour returns to a theme he had often treated: the return of peace once hostilities have ended.
Object Name
Naples
Creators Name
Date Created
1851 (circa)
Dimensions
support: 37.1cm x 54.3cm
accession number
1917.101
Collection Group
Place of creation
Europe
Support
paper
Medium
watercolour
pencil
Credit
Mr James Thomas Blair bequest, 1917.
Legal
© Manchester Art Gallery
