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Artist or Maker: Johan Christian Clausen Dahl (Bergen 1788-1857 Dresden)
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Provenance: Siegwald Dahl (1827-1902), son of the artist, with his inscription 'N o. 205. 20"h-16"br.. Johann Chr. Cl. Dahl geb. zu Bergen in. Norw. d. 24 Febr. 1788 + zu Dresden d. 14 Octbr. 1857.... gez: Dahl d. 20 Jan 1821' and his record of applying a mastic varnish 'Mit Mastix gefirniss d. 25 III 91 SD.' on the backing.
D. Hildish, Oslo, circa 1900, and thence by descent.
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Exhibited: Copenhagen, Blomqvist Kunsthandel, Minneutstilling, J.C. Dahl 1788-1857, 1926, no. 5.
Oslo, Kunstnernes Hus, J.C. Dahl's Verk, 1937, no. 175.
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Literature: M. Lødrup Bang, Johan Christian Dahl, 1788-1857, Life and Works, Oslo, 1987, II, no. 292, III, pl. 119.
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Notes: Made in preparation for Dahl's painting of Quisisana seen from the terrace with the Royal Household now at Capodimonte (M. Lødrup Bang, op. cit., no. 249). The painting was commissioned by the Danish Crown Prince Christian Frederik as a present for King Ferdinand IV of Naples with whom Dahl and the Danish Royal party were staying at the end of 1820 and the beginning of 1821. The view is taken from the church-tower at Castellamare and shows a distant prospect of the summer palace of the Kings of Naples which had been lent to the Prince for his stay. Dahl's diary records that between 15 and 26 January 1821 he 'finished the view of Quisisana for the Prince', tying in with the date of the present work (M. Lødrup Bang, op. cit., under no. 292). Marie Lødrup Bang suggests that the figure seen pointing towards Quisisana studied in the present work may be the Prince himself (M. Lødrup Bang, op. cit., II, p. 109). Dahl was paid 150 piasters for the finished painting.
As with the present drawing, many of Dahl's oil studies were inherited by his son Siegwald, who wrote lengthy inscriptions on the backing and applied layers of mastic varnish for protection (M. Lødrup Bang, op. cit., II, p. 26 and III, pl. 595).
