Edward William Cooke (1811-1880) - Rome: Castel Sant'Angelo and St Peter's
This very rare drawing of Rome by Cooke on tracing paper is a fascinating example of the artist's preparatory studies for important paintings. Cooke has precisely drawn this sketch of Rome almost certainly with the aid of a camera lucida which he was known to use. In fact, in his diary he wrote whilst in Rome on March 2nd 1846 that he 'went with Hannah to choose a Camera [ludica] at Flacheron's, which he bought, then called on Geo Dennis (out) & sketched from St Angelo'. [1] This could very easily be this drawing as it includes Castle Sant'Angelo and the Vatican in the distance.
Detail was important for Cooke and this can be seen in the exhibition piece of Rome that he later produced for the Royal Academy in 1849 (No. 153) that our drawing clearly was a preparation work for (see photos). The title the artist used for this painting was '‘Thou hast the sunset’s glow, Rome, for thy dower, Flushing the cypress tree, Temple and tower’. A critic for the Art Journal wrote the following about it:
'These lines stand in the place of title to this picture, which presents a view of a portion of Rome, with the Tiber in the centre of the composition on the right of which are seen the Castle of St Angelo and the Vatican. The time is evening and the buildings tell in strength against the warm sky which by the way is charged with clouds in greater number than we think is generally found over Rome. This is the best we have seen of the Italian subjects of the artist; it is a picture of great interest, but the comparison between these Southern subjects and those gathered on the shores of the North Sea, is not a little instructive to the reflective mind.' [2]
This oil painting was recently sold at Christie's on 25th May 2022 as lot 225 (see photos).
Our drawing by Cooke came directly from his studio and had been in a private collection since this time through descent. Other works we currently have for sale also came from this set including the Strasbourg and Amalfi drawings.
Medium: pencil on tracing paper, 15.4 x 31cm (picture size), framed (45.5 x 61.3cm) and glazed with conservation Artglass.
Literature:
[1] John Munday. E.W. Cooke 1811-1880: A man of his time, London: 1996, p.294.
[2] Ibid., p.148
Provenance: Studio of the artist, thence by descent to the previous owner.
Condition report: general time staining and creasing of the drawing (please see photos). The frame is an original from the Victorian era and has some wear.