- Description
-
- Creator(s)
- Thomas Girtin (1775-1802) after Jean-Baptiste-François Génillion (1750-1829)
- Title
-
- Paris: The Ruins of the Roman Baths, Hôtel de Cluny
- Date
- (?) 1802
- Medium and Support
- Watercolour on laid paper
- Dimensions
- 31.4 × 23.2 cm, 12 ⅜ × 9 ⅛ in
- Subject Terms
- French View: Ancient Ruins; Paris and Environs
-
- Collection
- Versions
-
Paris: The Ruins of the Roman Baths, Hôtel de Cluny
(TG1897)
- Catalogue Number
- TG1896
- Girtin & Loshak Number
- 482ii as 'Julian's Baths, Hotel Cluny, Paris'; '1801–2'
- Description Source(s)
- Viewed in 2001 and 2002
Provenance
Robert Nesham (1846–1928); his sale, Christie’s, 30 July 1924, lot 80 as 'Ewenny Priory, Glamorganshire' by Joseph Mallord William Turner; bought by 'Agnew', £52 10s; Thos. Agnew & Sons (stock no.562); Reginald Arthur Tatton (1857–1926); Gilbert Davis (1899–1983); Spink & Son Ltd, London; bought by Paul Tod; his sale, Christie's, 25 May 1956, lot 55 (withdrawn from the sale); 'A Lady'; her sale, Christie’s, 4 November 1975, lot 78 as 'Julian’s Baths, Hotel de Cluny, Paris'; bought by Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1,600 gns; Stanhope Shelton; bought by the Gallery, 1982
Exhibition History
Agnew’s, 1925, no.47 as ’Les Bains de Julien, Paris’; Spink’s, London, 1976, no.110; London, 2002, no.81
Bibliography
Wilton, 1979, p.47; Bower, 2002, p.138
Place depicted
Other entries in Picturesque Views in Paris and Other French Subjects

The Tuileries Palace and the Pont Royal, Taken from the Quai d’Orsay: Pencil Study for Plate One of Picturesque Views in Paris
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The Tuileries Palace and the Pont Royal, Taken from the Quai d’Orsay: Colour Study for Plate One of Picturesque Views in Paris
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The Louvre and the Pont Royal, Taken from the Pont Neuf: Pencil Study for Plate Two of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Louvre and the Pont Royal, Taken from the Pont Neuf: Colour Study for Plate Two of Picturesque Views in Paris
Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge

The Ile de la Cité, with the Louvre and the Pont Neuf in the Distance, Taken from the Pont Marie: Pencil Study for Plate Three of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

Paris with the Louvre, Taken from the Pont Marie: Copy of Plate Three of Picturesque Views in Paris
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The Ile de la Cité, with the Louvre and the Pont Neuf in the Distance, Taken from the Pont Marie: Colour Study for Plate Three of Picturesque Views in Paris
Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin

Pont Saint Michel, from the Pont Neuf: Pencil Study for Plate Four of 'Picturesque Views in Paris'
British Museum, London

Pont Saint Michel, from the Pont Neuf: Colour Study for Plate Four of 'Picturesque Views in Paris'
Private Collection

Paris: The Isle de la Cité and the River Seine, Taken from the Pont Neuf
Private Collection

A Panoramic View of Paris from Chaillot, Looking up the Seine with the Dome of Les Invalides: Pencil Study for Plate Five of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

Panoramic View of Paris from Chaillot, Looking up the Seine with the Dome of Les Invalides: Colour Study for Plate Five of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

The Banks of the Seine, with the Dome of Les Invalides
Private Collection

The Tuileries Palace and the Pont Royal: Pencil Study for Plate Six of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

The Tuileries Palace and the Pont Royal, Taken from the Pont de la Concorde: Pencil Study for Plate Six of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Tuileries Palace and the Pont Royal, Taken from the Pont de la Concorde: Colour Study for Plate Six of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

The Pont Neuf, Part of the Louvre, Notre Dame and the College of the Four Nations: Pencil Study for Plate Seven of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Pont Neuf, Part of the Louvre, Notre Dame and the College of the Four Nations: Colour Study for Plate Seven of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

The Pont Neuf and the Mint: Pencil Study for Plate Eight of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Pont Neuf and the Mint: Colour Study for Plate Eight of Picturesque Views in Paris
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Part of the Pont Neuf, with the Mint: Pencil Study for Plate Eight of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

The Pont au Change, the Théâtre de la Cité, the Pont Neuf and the Conciergerie Prison, Taken from the Pont Notre Dame: Pencil Study for Plate Nine of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Pont au Change, the Théâtre de la Cité, the Pont Neuf and the Conciergerie Prison, Taken from the Pont Notre Dame: Colour Study for Plate Nine of Picturesque Views in Paris
Aberdeen Art Gallery

The Porte Saint-Denis, Viewed from the Suburbs: Possible Colour Study for Plate Ten of Picturesque Views in Paris
Carnavelet Museum, Paris

The Porte Saint-Denis, Viewed from the Suburbs: Possible Colour Study for Plate Ten of Picturesque Views in Paris
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The Pont de la Tournelle and Notre Dame, Taken from the Arsenal: Pencil Study for Plate Eleven of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Pont de la Tournelle and Notre Dame, Taken from the Arsenal: Colour Study for Plate Eleven of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

The Pantheon, from the Arsenal, Looking across the Seine: Pencil Study for Plate Twelve of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Pantheon, from the Arsenal, Looking across the Seine: Colour Study for Plate Twelve of Picturesque Views in Paris
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

The Pantheon, from the Arsenal, Looking across the Seine: Pencil Study for Plate Twelve of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

Bellevue and the Pont de Sèvres, Taken from near the Pont de Saint-Cloud: Pencil Study for Plate Thirteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

Bellevue and the Pont de Sèvres, Taken from the Terrace near the Pont de Saint-Cloud: Colour Study for Plate Thirteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
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The Palace and Village of Choisy from the Banks of the Seine: Pencil Study for Plate Fourteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Palace and Village of Choisy from the Banks of the Seine: Colour Study for Plate Fourteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

The Water Works at Marly, Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Distance: Pencil Study for Plate Fifteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Water Works at Marly, Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Distance: Colour Study for Plate Fifteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

The View from the Palace Terrace at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Aqueduct of Marly in the Distance: Pencil Study for Plate Sixteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The View from the Palace Terrace at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Aqueduct of Marly in the Distance: Colour Study for Plate Sixteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence

The Village of Chaillot, Taken from the Pont de la Concorde: Pencil Study for Plate Seventeen of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Village of Chaillot, Taken from the Pont de la Concorde: Colour Study for Plate Seventeen of Picturesque Views in Paris
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton

Saint-Cloud and Mont Calvaire, Taken from the Pont de Sèvres: Pencil Study for Plate Eighteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

Saint-Cloud and Mont Calvaire, Taken from the Pont de Sèvres: Colour Study for Plate Eighteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

The Banks of the Marne below the Bridge at Charenton: Pencil Study for Plate Twenty of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Banks of the Marne below the Bridge at Charenton: Colour Study for Plate Twenty of Picturesque Views in Paris
Untraced Public Collection, Israel

The Champ de Mars, Seen from the Trocadéro, with Sèvres in the Distance: Unused Pencil Study for Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Watermill above the Bridge at Charenton, near Paris
British Museum, London

The Watermill above the Bridge at Charenton: Pencil Study for Plate Nineteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
British Museum, London

The Watermill above the Bridge at Charenton: Colour Study for Plate Nineteen of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

La Rue Saint-Denis, Paris: A Scene for Thomas Dibdin's Pantomime Harlequin's Habeas
Private Collection, Norfolk

Paris: Porte Saint-Denis and the Boulevard Saint-Denis
Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Part of the Tuileries Palace with the Louvre (Place du Carrousel)
The Higgins, Bedford

Part of the Tuileries Palace with the Louvre (Place du Carrousel)
Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin

Paris: View over the Rooftops towards Montmartre
British Museum, London

Paris: The Ruins of the Roman Baths, Hôtel de Cluny
Tate, London

Paris: The Ruins of the Roman Baths, Hôtel de Cluny
The Whitworth, University of Manchester

A Sheet of Figure Studies
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

A Sheet of Figure Studies Relating to Picturesque Views in Paris
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

A Sheet of Figure Studies: Women Washing Clothes at a River
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Studies of Women and Men, Including an Advocate Pleading
Private Collection

The Head of a Youth, Here Identified as Joseph Mallord William Turner
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Paris: The Hôtel de Ville and the Church of Saint-Jean-en-Grève
Private Collection, Norfolk

The Church of Saint Corneille at Compiègne
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

The Porte Chapelle, Compiègne
Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Paris: The Entrance to the Hôtel du Grand Prieur du Temple
British Museum, London

An Interior View of the Nave of Laon Cathedral
British Museum, London

A Wooded River in an Extensive Landscape
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A River Scene with a Castle on a Cliff
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

A Wooded Landscape with a Hermit
Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Buildings by a Road, with Passing Figures
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Footnotes
- 1 The financial records of John Girtin covering the income he received from the sale of the contents of his brother's studio, as well as from the Eidometropolis and the twenty aquatints of the Picturesque Views in Paris, together with a detailed account of the expenses from both projects, are transcribed in the Documents section of the Archive (1804 – Item 1).
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About this Work
This view of the interior of the impressive remains of the third-century Roman baths, which are now incorporated into the Musée de Cluny in Paris, is one of two versions that were probably produced following Girtin’s stay in France in the winter of 1801–2 (the other being TG1897). Unlike the multiple versions of earlier architectural subjects, such the west front of Peterborough Cathedral (TG1017 and TG1018), which were painted at different times and were subject to variations in staffage, this, the second watercolour of the ruined frigidarium (which was then used by a cooper to store barrels) are virtually identical. There was at least one occasion when Girtin produced replicas of watercolours for different patrons (see TG1562 and TG1563), but in this case he seems to have abandoned the other work at the last moment as a result of an accident and then made this second identical version; the large vertical drip of colour in the lower centre of the other work is unsightly enough to have forced the artist to start again. This second version, although identical in respect of its composition and details, nonetheless includes subtle differences in the handling of the washes that are in keeping with Girtin’s style, indicating a creative exploration of different means of achieving the same aim, and there is no question that this is a copy by another artist.
Girtin’s reworking of his composition has always been assumed to postdate his return from the trip to France in the winter and spring of 1801–2, but that this is not necessarily the case has become apparent following the startling discovery that rather than being the outcome of an on-the-spot sketch executed by Girtin, as one might expect, both works were actually copied from a secondary source, either a watercolour by Jean-Baptiste-François Génillion (1750–1829) (see TG1897 figure 1) or, more probably, a reproductive print by François-Denis Née (1732–1818) (see print after TG1897). Ephemeral details such as the carriage, the cloth hanging from poles above and the disposition of the barrels all replicate the print, confirming that, although the spectacular Roman ruins were no more than a few minutes’ walk away from Girtin’s lodgings in Paris, he must have based his watercolours on this secondary source. This discovery also helps to explain the problem Girtin’s watercolour has with the perspective of the frigidarium, which has the arch to the right coming out at an angle when it is actually on the same plane as the back wall, and it elucidates the curious nature of the wooden wheel form seen above the balcony, which turns out to be a misinterpretation of the print, which shows a smaller lower arch with vertical decorative brickwork above. Née’s etching was included in the Voyage Pittoresque de la France (vol.3, 1786), where it is titled Vue de Restes du Palais des Thermes, and there is a possibility that the artist actually acquired this and other prints of architectural subjects in Paris in 1801–2 (La Borde and others, 1781–1800). John Girtin (1773–1821) records that, amongst the sundry articles he found in the artist’s studio after his death were ‘French prints of Shipping bound and 5 D.o. Landscapes unbound’ (Chancery, Income and Expenses, 1804).1 I suspect that Née’s image was amongst those ‘French prints’, though the fact that it was published in 1786 means that one cannot entirely rule out what, at one time, would have seemed like an unthinkable alternative – namely, that this and some of the other Paris views might predate Girtin’s French trip, especially as neither of the two versions of the composition is dated. Nonetheless, the probability is still that they were painted in London later in 1802, not least because, as the paper historian Peter Bower has noted, both supports used by Girtin were English-made. In this case the unknown manufacturers of the off-white laid writing paper may have been Joseph Portal (active 1747–93) and William Bridges (unknown dates), working at Laverstoke Mill, Hampshire (Smith, 2002b, p.107; Bower, Report).
(?) 1802
Paris: The Ruins of the Roman Baths, Hôtel de Cluny
TG1897
1794
The West Front of Peterborough Cathedral
TG1017
1794
The West Front of Peterborough Cathedral
TG1018
(?) 1800
The South Front of Chalfont Lodge, Seen from across the Lawn
TG1562
(?) 1800
The South Front of Chalfont Lodge, Seen from across the Lawn
TG1563
(?) 1802
Paris: The Ruins of the Roman Baths, Hôtel de Cluny
TG1897
(?) 1802
Paris: The Ruins of the Roman Baths, Hôtel de Cluny
TG1897