44. 44W Francesco Zuccarelli (Pitigliano 1702-1788 Florence) Caprice animé de figures habillées à l'orientale huile sur toile, tondo 133.6cm (52 5/8 in). diamètre Provenance With Spiller, London, where purchased by the present owner A distinguished Noble Private Collection, Europe This hitherto, unpublished painting offers us a fascinating interpretation of the Turkish theme treated by Francesco Zuccarelli (Pitigliano, 1702-1788 Florence). The artist produced a small nucleus of works of 'exotic' subjects, ranging from the Old Testament (such as F. Spadotto, Francesco Zuccarelli , Milan, 2007, cat. nos. 255-257) to the depiction of larger figures in Oriental dress (ibid, cat. nos. 253-254) and the captivating capricci, inspired by the engravings of Robert Wood in his 1753 publication The Ruins of Palmyra, Otherwise Tedmor, in the Desert (op.cit., cat. nos. 413-416). In the present Capriccio with figures in Oriental dress, however, Zuccarelli has placed his elegant and refined turbaned figures within a landscape, very Venetian in feel but punctuated with classical ruins designed to pull together the composition. As a whole it shows a happy marriage between the traditional landscapes of the Veneto, for which Zuccarelli was so well known, and elements reflecting the growing fascination with travel literature so resonant of the later 18th century. We are grateful to Dott.ssa Federica Spadotto for her kind help in preparing this catalogue note.