Lot 33: Giacomo Quarenghi (1744-1817)

The fortress of Schlisselburg, near St. Petersburg
black chalk, grey ink and watercolour, on a contemporary mount
6 3/4 x 10 7/8 in. (17.3 x 27.6 cm.)

Probably acquired by Sir Charles Whitworth, K.B., subsequently 1st Earl Whitworth, G.C.B., P.C. (1752-1825), and bequeathed to his widow Arabella, Duchess of Dorset, subsequently Countess Whitworth (1767-1825), Knole Park, Kent, and thence by descent at Knole through her daughter by her first marriage, Lady Elizabeth Sackville, subsequently Sackville-West, and from 1864 Baroness Buckhurst in her own right (1795-1870), wife of George, 5th Earl De La Warr, P.C. (1791-1869), to their younger son, Mortimer Sackville-West, subsequently 1st Baron Sackville of Knole (1820-1888), Knole Park, Kent, and by descent.

The Property of the Trustees of the Knole Second Trust Fund

A Group of drawings by Giacomo Quarenghi (Lots 33 - 40)

Giacomo Quarenghi (1744-1817) was invited to Russia in 1779 by the Empress Catherine the Great who favoured Italian architects for her construction projects. Quarenghi became one of the most important architects of 18th Century Russia, constructing the Alexander Palace and several Imperial buildings in Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo.
Following the death of Catherine in 1796 he continued to work for the the Emperors Paul I and Alexander I and to a large extent contributed to the architectural reshaping of modern day St. Petersburg.
A gifted draftsman, Quarenghi not only executed splendid architectural drawings but also depicted architecture and topographical views recording his travels across Russia. Today, the largest collections of his drawings are in Venice, St. Petersburg and Quarenghi's native Bergamo. The present group was probably acquired by Sir Charles Whitworth, K.B., subsequently 1st Earl Whitworth, G.C.B., P.C. (1752-1825), when ambassador at the Imperial Court in St. Petersburg in 1788-1800, and bequeathed by him to his widow Arabella, Duchess of Dorset, subsequently Countess Whitworth. See the provenance for lot 33.

Located at the head of the Neva River on Lake Ladoga, Schlisselburg Fortress was founded in the 13th Century by Prince Iurii of Novgorod. Historically significant due to its strategic strength guarding Novgorod and its access to the Baltic Sea, today the Fortress is better known as the "Russian Bastille". Inmates included the Decembrists who revolted on Senate Square in 1825 and Vera Figner, see lot 156. During World War II, Schisselburg was seized by Germany; the recapture of the city in 1943 by Russian forces reopened access to besieged Leningrad.

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