Anonymous sale, London, Robinson Fisher & Harding, 19th June 1952, lot 109 (as 'Zuccarelli', one of three, bt. Spink & Son, Ltd.);
With Spink & Son, Ltd. 1953;
With Adam Ivo Stuart Bligh, Lord Cli﷽fton later 11th Earl of Darnley

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be generally good condition with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint. The paint surface has been slightly abraded overall and has been slightly flattened by a relatively firm lining, but otherwise appears to be in stable condition. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals two campaigns of restoration. The most recent of these consists of scattered minor infilling to craquelure and retouching in the darker area in the lower right. There is also scattered older retouching and infilling to craquelure in the sky overall. This retouching appears to be the result of minor flaking however there are no signs of major damage or restoration. FRAME Held in a carved and gilded wooden frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is an exceptionally rare painting by the artist Thomas Patch, who lived in Italy between 1747-1782. Famed primarily for his social satires, Patch abandoned a career in medicine to move to Italy where he became a pupil and copyist of Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789). The group lot, mentioned above which was sold at Robinson Fisher & Harding as by Zuccarelli in 1952, contained three canvases of identical size, which were subsequently reattributed upon purchase to Patch. The companion pieces to the present lot are now both in the Lewis Walpole Library in Farmington, Connecticut. They show a view of the Ponte Lucano on the Anio River near Tivoli, with the Tomb of the Plautii visible in the background, and a view of the Tomb of the Horatii and Curiatii, both of which are dependent upon Piranesi engravings of the same subjects. The present picture is a largely Italianate capriccio of imaginary origins, but the tower, although similar to the Tomb of Cecilia Metella on the Via Appia, seems to be based more upon the Tomb of the Plautii, Tivoli which is surmounted with a distinctive broken arch and has an overhanging architrave decorated with arched corbels. The overall design seems to be contingent also upon a Piranesi engraving of the Tomb (Plate XII in 'Le Antichita Romane') which includes the tower offset to the right and a fishing boat in the centre. Indeed Piranesi's landscape is stylised in such a way as to look like water which may have provided Patch with the inspiration for the present composition. It seems unlikely that the two views of the Tomb of the Plautii sold together in 1952 are compatible pendants; therefore we can speculate that they were originally grouped together as interesting works pertaining to Piranesi.

We would like to thank Hugh Belsey f🍷or confirming the attribution and for his assitance in cat൲aloguing this lot.