A Tomb in Lycia, Turkey
Watercolour
1812 (painted)
1812 (painted)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Gandy was an architect and drafts man. In 1811-1813 he took part in an expedition led by Sir William Gell, on behalf of the Society of Dilettanti, that investigated and drew antiquities in Greece and south-west Turkey, including Lycia. A large number of drawings from that trip are in the collections of the RIBA. The watercolour shown here was possibly done after that trip, but it has not yet been possible to identify the tomb, despite the distinctive relief on the side. Some commentators believe it may have been destroyed, or that Gandy may have even concocted the tomb from various sources, and placed it in a suitably picturesque setting.
However, the background of cliffs and the towering reeds by the shore of a freshwater lake are reminiscent of fertile places and archaeological sites like modern Dalyan and Caunos. The abundance of small details such as the brown pebbles on the roof of the tomb, the remaining cut stems of the reeds near the feet of the Turk with the billhook, and the almost readable carved inscription on the tomb, imply that if Gandy did invent or conflate real things in his imagination, he was extremely good at it. From this drawing it would be perfectly possible to build a replica of the tomb. In a sense, in some cases that was done, for details of sculpture and construction were borrowed from Lycian monuments and freely used in British neo-classical architecture.
However, the background of cliffs and the towering reeds by the shore of a freshwater lake are reminiscent of fertile places and archaeological sites like modern Dalyan and Caunos. The abundance of small details such as the brown pebbles on the roof of the tomb, the remaining cut stems of the reeds near the feet of the Turk with the billhook, and the almost readable carved inscription on the tomb, imply that if Gandy did invent or conflate real things in his imagination, he was extremely good at it. From this drawing it would be perfectly possible to build a replica of the tomb. In a sense, in some cases that was done, for details of sculpture and construction were borrowed from Lycian monuments and freely used in British neo-classical architecture.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | A Tomb in Lycia, Turkey (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Watercolour, over pencil, on stiff paper |
Brief description | Watercolour, A Tomb in Lycia, Turkey, 1812, by John Peter Gandy (afterwards Deering) RA |
Physical description | Watercolour drawing |
Dimensions |
|
Styles | |
Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed on old paper mount J.P.Gandy. |
Credit line | Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A |
Object history | According to Rodney Searight: - `Bt fr G.Hulme, Sept.1961 £1'. |
Historical context | SD.412 and 413 were made during (or after) Gandy's Dilettanti Society trip when, in Summer/Autumn 1812, he and Francis O. Bedford investigated and drew antiquities in Lycia, including Myra (Demre) and Antiphellus (Kas). Cf. in the RIBA, a large group of drawings by Gandy and Bedford from the expedition, many published by the Society of Dilettanti in The Unedited Antiquities of Attica, 1817, Antiquities of Ionia, Vol.III, 1840, and (W.R. Lethaby ed.), Antiquities of Ionia, Vol.V, 1915. |
Subject depicted | |
Place depicted | |
Summary | Gandy was an architect and drafts man. In 1811-1813 he took part in an expedition led by Sir William Gell, on behalf of the Society of Dilettanti, that investigated and drew antiquities in Greece and south-west Turkey, including Lycia. A large number of drawings from that trip are in the collections of the RIBA. The watercolour shown here was possibly done after that trip, but it has not yet been possible to identify the tomb, despite the distinctive relief on the side. Some commentators believe it may have been destroyed, or that Gandy may have even concocted the tomb from various sources, and placed it in a suitably picturesque setting. However, the background of cliffs and the towering reeds by the shore of a freshwater lake are reminiscent of fertile places and archaeological sites like modern Dalyan and Caunos. The abundance of small details such as the brown pebbles on the roof of the tomb, the remaining cut stems of the reeds near the feet of the Turk with the billhook, and the almost readable carved inscription on the tomb, imply that if Gandy did invent or conflate real things in his imagination, he was extremely good at it. From this drawing it would be perfectly possible to build a replica of the tomb. In a sense, in some cases that was done, for details of sculpture and construction were borrowed from Lycian monuments and freely used in British neo-classical architecture. |
Bibliographic references |
|
Collection | |
Accession number | SD.412 |
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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | January 22, 2008 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest