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Giardini Pincio

Artist: Bone, William Drummond, ARSA · 1907-1979

Giardini Pincio

The view is of the Clock Fountain in the Pincio Gardens in Rome.…

The view is of the Clock Fountain in the Pincio Gardens in Rome. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.romatoday.it%2Feventi%2Fcultura%2Forologio-ad-acqua-del-pincio.html&psig=AOvVaw3Xo24JHlgAirScS9nlYJL-&ust=1599643794722000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMDkzvqf2esCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAP. it was designed by a Dominican friar and there may be an awareness of this fact in the inclusion of the dark-robed figure in the centre of the composition who appears to wear Dominican robes and a dark broad-rimmed straw hat which was not part of the habit, as shown in contemporary photographs.

The domed cupola of St Peter’s is visible at left to the right of the seated woman

The poor drawing of the figures may be excused by the light pencil grid marked over the top of the gouache which suggests that this is a working study which he intended to square this up for a “finished” painting. At the RSA AX in 1936 alongside his Florentine view he exhibited “Study for a Decoration” (cat.769) and in 1940 (cat.328) a work titled “Garden Piece” either of which could conceivably be related to the present work.

The work must date to the period 1931-44 when the artist was recorded as living at the address given on the exhibition label, and may be narrowed further to c.1936-40 if it is indeed linked to the exhibited works cited above.

© The Artist's Estate