Segovia

Segovia 

George Vivian, 1833 

Pencil sketch 

Like many travellers of the time, George Vivian (1798-1873) took several sketchbooks with him on his travels. Five are known to survive: one from Italy (present whereabouts unknown) and four from Spain: this one—acquired by the Biblioteca Nacional in 2005—and three others in a private collection. Vivian was an enthusiastic rather than a gifted artist with a predilection for panoramic views of townscapes set in a broader landscape. He showed little interest in human figures, perhaps because these can be difficult for an amateur to carry off convincingly. 

This drawing of Segovia, with the Guadarrama mountains in the background, the cathedral in the centre and the fairy-tale castle (Alcázar) stretching up to the very edge of the page, conveys a strong sense of Vivian’s taste for the Picturesque as well as his excitement at what is still one of the most imposing sights to be seen in Spain. Vivian has elongated the turrets and given the conical roofs a slightly concave profile which helps to emphasise the castle’s lofty elegance. 

The Alcázar began to take its present form in the twelfth century but has been modified and extended several times since as a result of fire, structural collapse or regal ambition. It was the royal residence of generations of kings and queens of Castile including Alfonso X (r. 1252-1284), John II (r. 1406-1454) who built the square tower to which he gave his name, Isabel I (r. 1474-1504), and Philip II (r. 1556-1598). In modern times the Alcázar has played a significant role in popular culture, having inspired the design of the castle in Walt Disney’s animated film Cinderella (1950) and in the Disney theme parks in Florida and Tokyo.  

Title: Segovia. 

Author/Artist: George Vivian (1798-1873). 

Technique and Material: Pencil drawing, highlights and annotations in brown and blue ink, on paper. 

Dimensions: 135 x 436 mm. 

Published: n/a 

Marks and Inscriptions: upper edge of 18v: ‘The Guadarama mountains’; upper edge of 19r, left: title as above; centre: ‘The Cathedral’; right: ‘The Alcazar’. 

Institution: Biblioteca Nacional de España MS DIB/18/1/8691/19, ff 18v-19r.