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Theatre at Xanthus

George Scharf

1843

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Theatre at Xanthus is a 1843 by George Scharf, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: George Scharf
When & what style?: 1843 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows two old stone buildings with columns and steps. One looks like a small temple with a pointed roof, and the other is a simple pillar with a flat top. The ground around them has wild plants and a low fence. The lines are light and rough, almost like quick notes. The artist used a technique called cross-hatching to build up shadows with crisscrossed lines. It feels like they were drawing fast, maybe while traveling. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more sketches like this.

The story of this work

Overview

This drawing depicts the theatre at Xanthus in Lycia, created by George Scharf in 1843. It is one of several studies likely taken from a sketchbook, possibly related to works exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1846. Scharf’s rendering includes variations in medium, with some drawings using pencil with white heightening and others employing pen and ink. Additional sketches of the same site, dated November 1843, are preserved in the National Portrait Gallery archive.

Read the full account in the museum source.