Who painted Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell?

Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell was painted by Sebastiano Ricci in 1725.

Where can I see Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell?

Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell?

Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell?

Museum-quality prints of Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell by Sebastiano Ricci (1725)

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left on stone: B. / M. RICCI / Faciebant (Bastianoand Marco Ricci made it)

About this work

Technique & Style

The painting is attributed jointly to Sebastiano Ricci and his nephew Marco Ricci, combining their collaborative handling of paint and landscape elements.

The Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell is executed in oil on canvas, a medium and support consistent with Sebastiano Ricci's standard practice for large-scale commemorative compositions. The painting is attributed jointly to Sebastiano Ricci and his nephew Marco Ricci, combining their collaborative handling of paint and landscape elements. Its dimensions are recorded as 222.1 cm in height by 158.8 cm in width, indicating a substantial vertical format suited to its memorial function.

The work dates to 1725 and was completed for Owen McSwiny's commission to Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, by the following year. No specific condition reports, stylistic analysis, or handling notes are documented in the available sources.

History & Provenance

Sebastiano Ricci's Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell was commissioned by Owen McSwiny for Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, and was in the duke's collection at Goodwood, Sussex, and Somerset House, London, by 1726. The painting descended to Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, who sold it at Christie's in London on 26 March 1814 (lot 48), where it was bought by P. Hill, identified as the London dealer Philip Hill. It subsequently passed to Sir Richard Colthurst in Cork, Ireland, before being handled by the David M. Koetser Gallery in New York, London, and Zurich.

The Samuel H. Kress Foundation purchased the work in 1953 and gave it to the National Gallery of Art in 1961, where it remains in the Kress Collection.

The Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection. The work was acquired by the museum in 1961 as a gift from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, having passed through the hands of the David M. Koetser Gallery in 1953. Prior to its arrival in New York, the painting was owned by Sir Richard Colthurst in Cork, Ireland, and before that by the Duke of Richmond's family, who commissioned it in 1725.

It was sold at Christie's in London in 1814 and later entered the Kress collection inventory. No specific exhibition history is detailed in the provided sources.

Context

Sebastiano Ricci created Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell in 1725 as an oil on canvas painting commissioned by Owen McSwiny for Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond. The artwork entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in 1953, later gifted to the institution in 1961.[1][2]

Scholarly attention has focused on the painting's provenance and acquisition history rather than formal analysis. The National Gallery of Art's systematic catalogue notes its journey from Goodwood, Sussex, through sale in 1814 to P. Hill, then to Sir Richard Colthurst of Cork before its purchase by Philip Hill and eventual acquisition by the Kress Foundation.[1] The work remains part of the National Gallery of Art's permanent collection as part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection.

Legacy

The painting's trajectory from a private commission for the Duke of Richmond to its acquisition by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and donation to the National Gallery of Art established it as a representative example of early 18th-century decorative art in British collections. Its documented ownership through notable dealers such as Philip Hill and David Koetser, followed by its inclusion in the Kress Collection, contributed to its scholarly recognition and accessibility for study. The work remains part of the National Gallery of Art's permanent holdings in Washington, D.C., where it is studied within the context of Ricci family production and British patronage patterns.

Overview

Sebastiano Ricci’s 1725 oil on canvas, titled Memorial to Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell, presents a bustling garden setting. Central to the composition is a fountain spilling water, surrounded by a crowd in period dress. Ruined columns and statues frame the scene, while a lion sculpture occupies a pedestal on the right. The work combines architectural decay with lively figures, creating a complex visual narrative.

Subject & Meaning

The painting juxtaposes the remnants of classical architecture with figures ranging from laborers to aristocrats, suggesting a meditation on memory and the passage of time. The presence of a shield‑bearing gentleman in red and a group gathered near a small temple evokes notions of honor and commemoration, aligning the work with the memorial function implied by its title.