Alessio de Marchis (Naples 1684-1752 Perugia)
View of the Vatican (recto); Fontana dell' Acqua Paola at the Gianicolo (verso)
Inscribed On The Upper Margin In Pen And Brown Ink 'Prospect .. Vaticans Zu Rom.' (recto), Red Chalk, Brown And Red Wash (recto And Verso)
258 X 371 Mm. (10 1/8 X 14 5/8 In.)
PRICE ON REQUEST
Provenance :
Private Collection, U.S.A.
Pio's biography reports that at the age of 17 Alessio moved from Naples, his native city, to Rome, where he studied for 18 months with Philip Peter Roos and then completed his training by studying the work of Gaspard Dughet and painting subjects from life. He painted landscapes, portraying the most picturesque aspects of nature quickly and almost impressionistically, to obtain a highly decorative effect. In Rome he received commissions from such noble families as the Teodoli, Albani and Ruspoli. In 1715 he frescoed the two main rooms of the ground-floor apartment of the Palazzo Ruspoli with landscapes and views. On this project he collaborated with such distinguished painters as Antonio Amorosi and Andrea Locatelli to create a decorative complex that included seascapes, bambocciate (low-life subjects), history paintings and mythological themes. Alessio de Marchis¡'s career was chequered. His desire for painting conflagrations in the countryside led to his setting fire to a hay loft to obtain a more natural effect. He was imprisoned by Pope Clement XI Albani, but was then patronized by the Pope's nephew¡'s Cardinals Alessandro and Annibale for whom he painted landscape decorations for the Palazzo Albani at Urbino and the Villa Albani, Rome.
A characteristic double sided drawing by de Marchis, with his typical medium of red chalk and brownish red wash. A drawing stylistically comparable was sold at Christie's London, 3 July 2007, lot 53. This drawing measures 265 x 371 and carried a similar inscription, however the language of our drawing is German rather than Italian. Another very comparable drawing is at Windsor Castle (Inventory number 6638) and the British Museum (1948, 1116.1).
