Thomas Sidney Cooper R.A. (1803-1902) - Castel dell'Ovo, Bay of Naples c.1830
This fascinating early drawing by Sidney Cooper is quite different to the livestock paintings he is traditionally known for. In the early part of his career the artist travelled to Europe with his friend and fellow artist William Burgess. They travelled through Calais, Dunkirk, Ostend, Bruges and Ghent before eventually arriving in Brussels in the summer of 1827. [1] Sidney Cooper made a living here through painting portraits and also becoming a drawing master.
One of his main clients was the American traveller and businessman Daniel Wadsworth Coit (1787-1876). Coit travelled extensively in South America, Europe, Mexico and California, and was known to be in Europe between 1820-1822 and 1829-1832. 'In 1829, whilst detained in Brussels, he met Cooper from whom he received further drawing lessons...[later] on returning to Brussels from his travels in southern Europe, Coit employed Cooper to make finished copies of his sketches of landscape scenery and purchased a number of Cooper's watercolours.' [2] This drawing is clearly after one of the landscapes by Coit and is a significant early example of Sidney Cooper's work. The drawing itself depicts Castel dell'Ovo in the Bay of Naples. It looks to the south-east from the foot of the hill of Pizzafalcone, with the squarish bulk of the castle obvious in the foreground. In the distance in is the Bay of Sorrento and the eastern tip of the Gulf of Naples. Further to the right and just out of view in this drawing is the island of Capri.
J.M.W. Turner produced a watercolour in 1819 from a similar vantage point to Coit's sketch (Tate Gallery: D16093 Turner Bequest CLXXXVII 6). This work was previously thought to depict Gibraltar and is this location is suggestion in Westwood's catalogue, however, it clearly depicts the Castel dell’Ovo in Naples.
Early drawings from the time of Sidney Cooper's residence in Brussels are particularly rare. A collection from the Coit family only were recently rediscovered of which this work was part of. [3] It was then in the collection of Kenneth Westwood who wrote the important catalogue raisonné on Sidney Cooper.
Medium: pencil on paper, c.1827-1831. 13.2 x 18.4 cm, mounted.
References:
[1] Westwood, K.J., Thomas Sidney Cooper C.V.O., R.A., His Life and Work, (David Leathers Publishing, 2011), Vol. 1, p.76 (see also Chapter 2 'T.S. Cooper as Drawing Master', pp. 75-88).
[2] Ibid., p.82.
[3] Ibid., p.128.
Provenance:
Daniel Wadsworth Coit (1787-1876); thence by descent, until sold - K.J. Westwood, Ref: DWC no.30c; Goodacre Collection, number 326; Private collection UK.
Literature:
Westwood, K.J., Thomas Sidney Cooper C.V.O., R.A., His Life and Work, (David Leathers Publishing, 2011); Catalogue no. D(1827-1831)31. Titled 'A City Overlooking A ?Lake - ?Gibraltar'.