
Julius Caesar IbbetsonVereinigtes Königreich, 1759–1817Darf man es sehen?
London, Vereinigtes Königreich
SaalBritish Galleries, Room 120, The Wolfson Galleries
Öffentlich ausgestellt. Wer dafür bürgt, steht unten.
Object Type
Oil paintings showing ancient ruins in a Romantic setting appealed to an intense nostalgia for the medieval past. They were widely commissioned and collected from the end of the 18th century and remained popular throughout the 19th century.
Subjects Depicted
The scenery of North Wales, as yet untrammelled by the incursions of industry, drew 18th- and early 19th-century travellers and artists in search of the sublime wildness associated with that part of Britain. The massive castle and town walls of Conwy (or Conway as the English called it) had been built by Edward I between 1283 and 1289 and had helped to complete the conquest of the Welsh princes. The castle was finally abandoned in 1685, so it had been in slow decay for over 100 years when this picture was painted.
People
Ibbetson visited Conwy in 1792 and painted the scene at least three times. He obliquely indicates the popularity of such Romantic views with artists and their patrons by including the figure of an artist (perhaps himself) sketching the ferry. His moonlight effects highlight the dramatic position of the castle silhouetted on the skyline above the river.
Victoria and Albert Museum