Nicosia
Creator:
Hunt, Cecil Arthur, 1873-1965
Tarih:
ca.1930
Medium:
Inscriptions:
Inscribed in lower right recto: Nicosia; Seal in lower left corner Bristol Board
Description:
The watercolour is a view of the highest hill in the Mesaoria plain known as Aronas or Leontari. The name Aronas could have been possibly attributed to the site from a descendant of the well known Byzantine family (11-12th cent.) Aronios, a member of which is purported to have been the military officer of the area. According to Rupert Gunnis, excavations in 1888 revealed Bronze Age tombs. In 1385, James I of Cyprus built a fort on top of the hill which acted as an observatory that protected the area. The fort was demolished in the 19th century and its stones were used to build the church of Phaneromeni in Nicosia. Presently, it is occupied by the Cyprus National Guard as it rests on the dividing line of the island. The area was always known to have underground water and an aqueduct was built to carry water to Nicosia probably in the Venetian period. The colours of the painting accentuate the arid clay land. The yellows create a feeling of dryness and heat. The artist has achieved a successful combination of the yellow of the land with the blue of the sky. The whole painting utilizes basically only these two colours.
Dimensions:
27 x 37 cm
Signature(s):
Signed in lower left rectro: C.A. Hunt
Subject:
Identifier:
PNT-00308
Provenance:
Fine Art Society Memorial Exhibition 1968; ex Royal Watercolour Society exhibit.
Classification:
Collection:
Object Type:
Rights Holder:
© Costas and Rita Severis Foundation
Rights Statement:
The Costas and Rita Severis Foundation holds or manages the copyright(s) of this item and its digital reproduction. If you need information about using this item, please send an email to research@severis.org
We're always looking to improve our records, so if you have any information about an object or recognize any of the people, locations, monuments in the photographs, please give us details in the form provided here.
