Analysis 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.
