- Description
-
- Creator(s)
- Thomas Girtin (1775-1802)
- Title
-
- Part of the Tuileries Palace with the Louvre (Place du Carrousel)
- Date
- 1801
- Medium and Support
- Graphite and watercolour on two pieces of laid paper
- Dimensions
- 37.7 × 32 cm, 14 ⅞ × 12 ⅝ in
- Inscription
‘Girtin 1801’ lower centre, by Thomas Girtin; ‘Part of the Thuilleries palace where Buonaparte resides the house of Lucien Buonoparte and the house blown up by the infernal machine’ on the back, by Thomas Girtin
- Object Type
- On-the-spot Colour Sketch
- Subject Terms
- City Life and Labour; Paris and Environs; The View from Above
-
- Versions
-
Part of the Tuileries Palace with the Louvre (Place du Carrousel)
(TG1893)
- Catalogue Number
- TG1894
- Girtin & Loshak Number
- 481 as 'Part of the Tuileries, Paris'
- Description Source(s)
- Museum Website
Provenance
Sewall W. Barker; his sale, Christie’s, 21 June 1875, lot 2 as 'The Place Carrousel, Paris, 1801', unsold; ... P & D Colnaghi & Co., 1943; bought by James Leslie Wright (1862–1954) (lent to Agnew's, 1953a); Mrs J. J. H. Spink; Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1982; bought by Mr and Mrs Richard Thune; presented to the Museum, 1982
Exhibition History
Agnew’s, 1953a, no.10; Spink’s, London, 1982, no.18
Bibliography
Mayne, 1949, p.59; Scarborough, 2006, p.106
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
British Museum, London

The Tuileries Palace and the Pont Royal, Taken from the Quai d’Orsay: Colour Study for Plate One of Picturesque Views in Paris
Private Collection

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
Private Collection

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 – Madison

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
Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris

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

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
Private Collection

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, The 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
Private Collection

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
Private Collection
Footnotes
- 1 From a letter to the artist’s brother, John Girtin (1773–1821). The only surviving letter from Thomas Girtin includes crucial evidence about the artist’s work in Paris and is transcribed in the Documents section of the Archive (1802 – Item 2).
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About this Work
Girtin arrived in Paris late in November 1801, having made the channel crossing on the twentieth, and so this view of the Tuileries Palace, which is signed and dated ‘1801’, must have been amongst the first works that he executed during his stay in the capital. An inscription on the back of the watercolour by the artist himself identifies the focus of his interest: ‘Part of the Thuilleries palace where Buonaparte resides the house of Lucien Buonoparte and the house blown up by the infernal machine’. The Tuileries Palace, which was destroyed during the Paris Commune in 1871, was located between the two arms of the Louvre and at this time was inhabited by Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821). In this view looking west over the Place du Carrousel, part of its facade is visible in the centre, with the house of Lucien Bonaparte (1775–1840), the First Consul’s brother, in the centre, whilst the remnants of the building destroyed by the explosion are shown in the foreground. As Napoleon’s home, the Tuileries was a magnet for British travellers, who sought out every detail about the First Consul, not least those relating to the notorious assassination attempt of 24 December 1800. The massive bomb – the ‘infernal machine’ – killed and injured a large number of people and caused much damage around the palace, though Napoleon himself escaped unhurt. The men shown working in the foreground are therefore clearing away the damage a year after an event that even overshadowed the arrest of the royal family, who had been confined in the palace before the building was stormed in August 1792, an event that ultimately marked the beginning of their demise.
It is not surprising that Girtin’s attention was caught by this sight as his first lodgings in Paris, in the Rue de Malte, were close to the Rue Saint-Nicaise, where the bomb exploded. This view across the Place du Carrousel would not have been visible from his rooms, however, and the artist seems to have taken up an elevated position, either from a window in the southern arm of the Louvre or, more likely, from a building in front that has since been demolished. This presumably offered Girtin a degree of protection whilst he sketched such a sensitive subject – something that for a foreign artist, and one from a nation until very recently at war with France, was no doubt of some importance – and he actually described to his brother, John Girtin (1773–1821), how he had made drawings from a ‘Hackey carriage’ to avoid attracting attention (Girtin, Letter, 1802).1 Unfortunately, I have not been able to view the watercolour at first hand and assess whether it was actually sketched on the spot in colour or was worked up in the studio from a lost pencil sketch. The inscription on the back might suggest the former and that a second version of the composition (TG1893) is therefore based on this watercolour; conversely, though, the presence of a signature and date could point to this being a studio work too. The solution to this quandary might lie in a better understanding of the cause of the curious appearance of the work, which has implausibly been explained as a result of it being cut down from a larger composition and then pieced back together with the ‘two sections differently colored to suggest full daylight and twilight’ (Blanton Museum Website. Accessed 21/09/2022). More likely is the suggestion made by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) and David Loshak, who argued that an early mount protected the left side whilst the rest faded due to the use of indigo, though this does not explain why the work appears on two pieces of paper (Girtin and Loshak, 1954, p.200). However, there are a number of instances of Girtin cutting his sketches to try out an alternative composition or detail (such as TG1014 and TG1015), and it may be that this was the case here, but the drawing needs to be the subject of more research, including a technical examination, before we can be sure of its precise status.
1801 - 1802
Part of the Tuileries Palace with the Louvre (Place du Carrousel)
TG1893
(?) 1794
The West Front of Peterborough Cathedral
TG1014
(?) 1794
Part of the North-West Tower of the West Front of Peterborough Cathedral
TG1015