Umbrella pines in the Villa Borghese, Rome

William James Müller British

Not on view

A leader of the Bristol School, Müller was known for a free expressive manner shaped by the watercolors of John Sell Cotman. After traveling to Greece and Egypt in 1838–39, the artist returned to Britain via Italy. This fresh watercolor records a scene encountered in the gardens of the Villa Borghese or Villa Chigi, with the artist’s distinctive dry brushwork applied to describe foliage. Müller’s fascination with the distinctive shapes of trees is evident here, although he may not have been aware that Roman pines had actually been introduced to Italy from Africa. Even though he had visited more exotic locales, his first exhibited watercolor after reaching home would be a view of Lake Albano, near Rome.

Umbrella pines in the Villa Borghese, Rome, William James Müller (British, Bristol 1812–1845 Bristol), Watercolor over graphite underdrawing, with stippling, washes and reductive techniques, selectively coated with gum arabic

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