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Signed lower left and dated 1861 and inscribed lower right: PARTHENON FROM PHALERUM BAY. 1861, further inscribed on part of old mount: The Acropolis & Pentelius from Phalerum Bay -/seen acrofs the Marsh – with the Parthenon rising/behind the Hill of the Museum
Watercolour heightened with touches of bodycolour and scratching out
27.4 by 51.5 cm., 10 3/4 by 20 1/4 inches
Johnson was a pupil of the British artist William James Müller and accompanied him on his trip to Lycia in Turkey, with the archaeologist Sir Charles Fellows, in 1843. He settled in London on his return and accompanied David Cox on various sketching tours to North Wales. He also travelled extensively in Greece, Italy, France and North Africa.
This is view of the Parthenon from Faliro (Phalerum in ancient Greece) which is part of Piraeus. Faliro is by the sea five miles south-west of the city centre.
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Inscribed lower left: The Entrance to Borrowdale and dated August 1877
Watercolour heightened with scratching out
338 x 502 mm., 13 ¼ x 19 ¾ in.
Provenance:
The Artist’s studio sale, Christie’s, 5th March 1885, lot 5
Grange Bridge, in the village of Grange, stands at the entrance to Borrowdale between Grange Fell and Castle Crag. It has stood over the River Derwent since 1675.
Sold Signed with initials lower left: Theatre of Xanthus/Nov 6 1843 HJJ
Watercolour over traces of pencil
34.7 by 26.2 cm., 13 ? by 10 ? in.
Xanthus was the capital of ancient Lycia. Its strategic significance was recognised by the Persians, Greeks and Romans, who in turn all conquered the region. The temple was built in the mid-2nd Century AD during Roman occupation and was so large, the layout of the city had to be altered to accommodate it. The British traveller and archaeologist, Sir Charles Fellowes first visited Zanthus in 1838 and returned several times including in 1843 with Johnson and M?ller, when the present watercolour was executed.
Sold Watercolour over pencil on several sheets of joined paper
40.2 by 58.7 cm., 15 3/4 by 23 in.
Cape Sunion lies on the southern tip of Attican peninsula about 40 miles south of Athens. The remains of the Temple are perched on the headland, overlooking the Aegean Sea. It is reputedly where Aegeus, King of Athens jumped off the cliffs to his death, thinking his son Theseus had failed in his quest to slay the Minotaur. The earliest literary reference to Sounion is in Homer's Odyssey, probably composed in the 8th century BC, although but the earliest archaeological remains date to around 700 BC. The temple, whose columns still stand today, was probably built circa 440BC, during the same period that the Parthenon was rebuilt.
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inscribed lower left: Monaco AUG 24 1851
watercolour over pencil heightened with bodycolour
31.5 by 51.3cm., 12 1/2 by 20 inches
The palace at Monaco was originally a fortress in the early 13th century and was captured by the Grimaldi family of Genoa in 1297 since when it has been in their possession almost continuously. The old fortress was transformed into the Palace as we know it today in the mid 16th century. During the French revolution the Palace was occupied and the contents sold by auction. By the time it was returned to the Grimaldi in May 1814 it was in such poor condition that much of it had to be rebuilt
Provenance:
With Agnew's, 1981
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