ANTONIO SENAPE (Rome 1788 – Naples after 1842)
A View of Capodimonte and A View of Posillipo: Souvenirs of the Grand Tour
Each inscribed with location
Both: brown ink and pencil on paper
Each: 315 x 428 mm
We would like to thank Charles Beddington for identifying these drawings as the work of Antonio Senape.
Although not much is known of the life of Antonio Senape, he has left a treasure trove of drawings depicting spectacular views of Italy during the first half of the 19th century. Visitors on the Grand Tour must have clamored for his works as souvenirs of their travels. Scenes of Rome, Florence, Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi, Salerno, Milan, Pozzuolo and Calabria are known, but it appears that it was Naples with which he was most enamored.[1]
In this pair of drawings both views overlook the Gulf of Naples and most importantly feature a spouting Vesuvius. Other drawings by Senape can be found in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. as well as the Nelson – Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri.
Mortimer Brandt was a leading dealer in Old Master paintings and drawings. He was based in New York from 1937 - 1969, and afterwards moved to London.
[1] Biographical information taken from Teresa Barone, “Antonio Senape, View of Naples” on salamongallery.com