North Wales

Name of traveller

Onorato Carlandi (1848-1939)

Reason for travel

• painting, mostly landscape painting in open air

Date of travel

repeated travels since 1880, one of which took place in 1907 as can be verified by Carlandi’s signature in the visitors’ book of Gwydir Castle for 28 Sep. 1907 (visitors' book kept in Bangor University, Archives & Special Collections)

Had I to leave my native Rome I would like to dwell in the awed contemplation of the Divine Voice that is up there. There you can, day after day, paint the innumerable effects and try to fathom the secrets of the mists; and, looking back to the valley, your hand will tremble with joy at the sight of the ranges jewelled by the glimpses of the sun. (Carlandi 55)

Content

• architecture: praise of Welsh architecture, e.g. bridge in Llanrwst by Inigo Jones (1573-1652) and church in Dolwyddelan
• art: contains a number of watercolour and oil paintings from the described areas
• history: capturing the history of Welsh places in his paintings improves the quality of his art
• people:
  
  • a discreet observer of the local population; confesses to hiding in bushes or watching from a respectful distance
  • mentions important British landscape artists that have flocked to Betws-y-Coed, e.g. David Cox (1783–1859), David Murray (1849–1933), Benjamin Williams Leader (1831-1923)
• terrain:
  • particularly taken with the landscape of north Wales from an artistic point of view
  • observation of landscape challenges the artist to develop his skill
  • the descriptions of individual places are executed with the vocabulary of the painter
• click here to read the full account

Nationality of traveller

Italian

Language of publication

English

Gender of traveller

Male

Type of publication

illustrated essay

Citation

Carlandi, Onorato. "North Wales." Sketching Grounds. Ed. Charles Holme. London: The Studio, 1909. 49-57. Print.