Anon. Mountain Lake with Jetty, Switzerland

Switzerland & Egypt: 19th-century Graphite & Wash Landscapes

This picture forms part of a collection of 19th-century works that we have for sale by a competent hand, depicting landscapes around the Nile and in Switzerland. The artist is unknown but the skill level is that of a professional; they demonstrate great lightness of touch—with loose application of wash in a subtle, muted palette—whilst also displaying fine handling in pencil to delineate detail. There are some very fine pencil studies of trees in the Swiss Alps, along with detailed foliage studies, contrasted with looser wash landscapes on the Nile—including an almost impressionistic view of Philae Temple at Aswan, where the ancient buildings shimmer and reflect in the river waters.

The pictures derive from a larger collection of work associated with the Walpole family, whose ancestors included the first prime minister of Britain, Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford.