Seville
For any traveller in Spain, Seville, Andalucía’s capital, on the banks of the Guadalquivir river, was a must-see destination. Its architectural heritage, including Roman, Islamic, Mudéjar, Gothic and Baroque styles, along with its bustling everyday life and a rich Catholic culture provided a wealth of inspiration for romantic writers and artists in search of novel material. Attracting both Spanish and European artists, it became a vibrant hub for artistic exchange.
In the 1830s, the local art scene revolved around Julian B. Williams, the British honorary vice consul in Seville and a pioneering collector of Spanish art. He welcomed notable international travellers, including the French painter Eugène Delacroix, as well as British artists John Frederick Lewis and David Roberts, both at his residence in Seville and at his home in nearby Alcalá de Guadaira.
Harriet and Richard Ford chose Seville as their main base during their time in Andalucía between 1830 and 1833. Ford became a connoisseur of Spanish Golden Age painting, but he also took an interest in contemporary local artists, commissioning José Bécquer and José Gutiérrez to paint portraits of his wife and himself. David Roberts was greatly admired by local artists. Roberts also met the Galician painter Genaro Pérez Villaamil in Seville with whom he forged a lifelong friendship.
The tower of the Giralda, Seville
William Gauci , 1837.
Barry Ife Collection.
Plate 14 from David Roberts, Picturesque Sketches in Spain taken during the years 1832 & 1833. London: Hodgson & Graves, 1837.
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Plaza de San Francisco, Seville
John Frederick Lewis, 1833.
Barry Ife Collection.
Plate 4 from J F Lewis, Sketches of Spain and Spanish character made during his tour in that country in the years 1833-4. London: F G Moon and John F Lewis, [1836].
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Bull Fight, Seville
Louis Haghe, 1837.
Barry Ife Collection.
Plate 26 from David Roberts, Picturesque Sketches in Spain taken during the years 1832 & 1833. London: Hodgson & Graves, 1837
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Seville, Gate of Xeres
Louis Haghe, 1838.
Barry Ife Collection.
Plate 7 from George Vivian, Spanish Scenery. London: P & D Colnaghi, 1838.
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Market Place, Carmona
Thomas Shotter Boys, 1837.
Barry Ife Collection.
Plate 17 from David Roberts, Picturesque sketches in Spain taken during the years 1832 & 1833. London: Hodgson & Graves, 1837.
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Chapel of the Nunnery of the Virgin at Carmona during the Service of the Vigils by the Holy Sisterhood
Louis Haghe, 1837.
Barry Ife Collection.
Plate 15 from David Roberts, Picturesque sketches in Spain taken during the years 1832 & 1833. London: Hodgson & Graves, 1837.
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Dos hermanas. Spanish Ladies, habited in the maja dress of Andalusia. Sketched at Seville
John Frederick Lewis, 1836.
Barry Ife Collection.
Plate 5 from John Frederick Lewis, Sketches of Spain and Spanish character made during his tour in that country in the years 1833-4, London: F G Moon and John F Lewis, [1836]
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