(Paris 1782–1859)
A view of Palazzo Donn’Anna from a grotto in Posilippo, monogrammed, dated T. T. 1824, oil on panel, 23 x 18.5 cm (image size 23 x 17.5 cm), framed, (Rei)

Lancelot Théodore Comte de Turpin de Crissé shared his love of art and Italy with his father, Henri Roland Lancelot, Marquis de Turpin de Crissé. The Marquis tried his hand as an amateur painter alongside his military career and did, in fact, have some success with his paintings of Roman vistas.Turpin de Crissé was a man of many talents and established himself not only as a painter, but also as a connoisseur of art and a writer. In 1816, Turpin de Crissé became a member of the Institut de France. From 1824 onwards, he took the title of Inspecteur des Départments des Beaux-Arts, and in the following year, he became a Knight of the Legion of Honour.

The view of Palazzo Donn’Anna from a grotto was probably created during his third trip to Italy, as the monogram T. T. 1824 on the rock at the right-hand side reveals. The cream-coloured primer applied to the wooden panel is still visible at the sides, while Turpin de Crissé has narrowed the picture itself with pencil lines to create a stronger vertical format.

He published his “Souvenirs du Golfe de Naples” in 1828 on the basis of the experiences and impressions he gained through his journeys to Italy in 1808, 1818 and 1824. This was a magnificent travelogue in folio format with 47 steel engravings based on his own sketches and paintings.
On the frontispiece, he introduces himself as a traveller, connoisseur of Italy and scholar: we see him in the midst of ancient ruins and objets d’art, his coat casually thrown over an amphora to the right, with his portfolio of drawings also leaning against it, while he is getting ready to start drawing, propping himself up on the remains of a wall.

The present painting probably served as a model for steel engraving no. 42 in this richly illustrated publication. In the notes under the illustrations, he clearly differentiated between instances when the model was “dessiné” or, as in our case, “peint par le Cte. Turpin de C.”
In the accompanying text, he uses striking, pictorial language to recommend the caves at Posilippo to travellers seeking a welcome refuge from the oppressive summer heat:
“When the rays of a burning sun, striking the large fragments of polished lava that pave the streets, force the most fearless traveller to seek shelter; when his eyes, tired of the dust and reflection of the buildings, make him desire freshness and shade, he can take refuge in one of the dark caves that the subterranean fires or the ancient labourers once carved into the slopes of Posilippo.”
Turpin de Crissé was highly impressed by the ruins of the Palazzo Donn’Anna, a fifteenth-century villa located in the fishing village of Mergellina at the foot of the hills of Posilippo. He describes its spectacular location right on the water and the picturesque decay of its ruins: “He will stop under the vaults of this vast ruined building, known as Queen Jeanne‘s Palace, or rather Donn’Anna’s Palace, or in other villas, abandoned and beaten by the waves.”