Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level H , Case WD, Shelf 49, Box B

Rocks in a fountain, Rome

Drawing
2003 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Carole Robb is one of a number of talented British artists who studied at the British School in Rome during the 1970s. Like Stephen Farthing (b.1950) and Christopher Le Brun (b.1951), she rejected abstraction in favour of a figurative style informed by old master painting. This drawing is part of a group of fourteen works (E.3719 to 3732-2004) that illustrate Robb's journey through Rome to Tivoli, and the Veneto, that she undertook in 2003/4. As such, it constitutes a contemporary uprise to the V&A's numerous Grand Tour watercolours of Italy, dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries.

This watercolour of a fountain probably represents one designed by the sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598 – 1680). The jutting rocks are similar to those in his ‘Fountain of the Four Rivers’ in Piazza Navona and other fountains in Baroque Rome. In this work Robb also focuses on the naturalistic elements of an artificial environment. The rocks in this fountain are built up with thick bold graphite marks. Cross hatching and darker areas suggest Bernini’s creation of artificial depth through sculpted stone. The larger white areas in the top left corner suggest the flanks of a sculpture’s marble base.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleRocks in a fountain, Rome (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Drawing in charcoal
Brief description
Drawing, Rocks in a fountain, Rome, by Carole Robb, charcoal, 2003.
Physical description
Drawing in black charcoal of rocks around a little pond
Dimensions
  • Height: 26.4cm
  • Width: 34.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
'Robb 2003' (signed by the artist)
Credit line
Given by Jane Mankiewicz
Subject depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Carole Robb is one of a number of talented British artists who studied at the British School in Rome during the 1970s. Like Stephen Farthing (b.1950) and Christopher Le Brun (b.1951), she rejected abstraction in favour of a figurative style informed by old master painting. This drawing is part of a group of fourteen works (E.3719 to 3732-2004) that illustrate Robb's journey through Rome to Tivoli, and the Veneto, that she undertook in 2003/4. As such, it constitutes a contemporary uprise to the V&A's numerous Grand Tour watercolours of Italy, dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries.

This watercolour of a fountain probably represents one designed by the sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598 – 1680). The jutting rocks are similar to those in his ‘Fountain of the Four Rivers’ in Piazza Navona and other fountains in Baroque Rome. In this work Robb also focuses on the naturalistic elements of an artificial environment. The rocks in this fountain are built up with thick bold graphite marks. Cross hatching and darker areas suggest Bernini’s creation of artificial depth through sculpted stone. The larger white areas in the top left corner suggest the flanks of a sculpture’s marble base.
Collection
Accession number
E.3720-2004

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdFebruary 14, 2007
Record URL
Download as: JSON