Description
Book SynopsisAnalysis of hundreds of art works from the period provides insights into forgotten landscapes and hidden geographies. After the Napoleonic wars many wealthy British women and men settled along the coast in Liguria and travelled in Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta in search of warmth and health. They established English-speaking colonies of retired clerics, colonial officials, aristocrats and industrialists at places such as Alassio, Bordighera, Sanremo and Portofino. Many were keen artists. This book assesses hundreds of topographical drawings, paintings and photographs of north-west Italy produced by these British visitors and residents in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Through the identification and analysis of these works, scattered today in private and public collections in Italy and Britain, it provides insights into the way Italian landscapes were understood and appreciated. Considered in conjunction with historical photography, maps, archives and fieldwork, they deepen our knowledge of past land management traditions and recover how the contemporary landscape looked. The artists are placed in their intellectual and geographical contexts; and interconnections between British and Italian artists and between topographical art and photography are explored. Different chapters assess the main subjects depicted, including mountains, seascapes, rivers, agriculture, trees and woodland, castles, churches, villages, industries and landscapes of luxury.
Table of ContentsIntroduction Identifying views Landscape history Environmental change Chapter 1: Landscape Artists in North West Italy Women artists Amateur male artists Professional male artists Ruskin and nature drawing Late nineteenth-century amateurs From Vedutismo to Realismo The Scuola Grigia and Scuola di Rivara Chapter 2: Art and Landscape Photography Fox Talbot and the idea of natural pictures Fox Talbot and William Strangways The spread of photography in Italy Landscape photography in Liguria Chapter 3: From the Alps to the Mediterranean Depicting the Valle d'Aosta Tourists climbing Monviso The Maritime Alps and Tenda Pass Painting and plant collecting Transhumance landscapes Chapter 4: 'Coasting prospects' and Marine Painting Views of the coast from the sea Working on the beach Ventimiglia: coastal transformation Shipbuilding at Varazze Chapter 5: Villages and Castles: 'exquisite picturesqueness' Archaeological remains Castles and forts Churches and religious landscapes Creverina: an obscure inland village Rock villages of the Riviera Chapter 6: Productive Landscapes Horticulture Haymaking Viticulture Olive groves and oil Terraces as productive sites Productive pines Chestnut cultivation Chapter 7: River Landscapes Spectacular bridges Impetuous torrents Mills, papermills and ironworks Chapter 8: Landscapes of Modernity Coastal roads and mountain passes Railways, the telegraph and trams Industrial landscapes Chapter 9: Luxurious Landscapes In search of health on the coast Cool hills and hydrotheraphy 'In lands of palm' Luxurious gardens Conclusion
