Rock Tombs at Telmessus

Location

Country: Turkey
City: Ankara
Place: British Embassy

This lithograph is from the publication ‘Lycia, Caria, Lydia, illustrated by Mr. George Scharf, Part One’, published in 1847. The descriptive letterpress was written by Charles Fellows. Scharf accompanied Fellows on his first expedition to Lycia on behalf of the British Museum. However, only the first part of a projected series of views made by Scharf was published. The views comprised: Xanthus (three views); Macry; Telmessus; Tlos; Myra; Almalee; and Patara.

Sir George Scharf was born in London; the son of artist George Johann Scharf. He studied under his father, before entering the Royal Academy Schools. After accompanying Charles Fellows to Asia Minor in 1840, his drawings were published as ‘Lycia, Caria, Lydia’ (1847). He illustrated numerous books on classical antiquities and created the Greek, Roman and Pompeian Courts for the Crystal Palace at Sydenham in 1854. He was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (1852) and catalogued the Society’s pictures. In 1857 he was appointed Secretary to the Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester. Scharf became the recognised authority on historical portraiture, serving as Director of the National Portrait Gallery from 1857 for some 40 years.
Charles Joseph Hullmandel was born in London; the son of a German composer and musician. He trained as an artist in Paris, before travelling on the continent. In 1817 he met J. A. Senefelder, the inventor of lithography, in Munich and changed the course of his career. His earliest published lithographs were ‘Twenty-Four Views of Italy’ (1818) and soon after this project he set up a lithographic press at his home in Great Marlborough Street. From then he worked as a lithographic draughtsman and printer. Most major improvements to lithography in Britain of the 1820s and ‘30s are attributed to him and he became the finest lithographer and most prolific printer. In 1827 he married flower painter Valentine Bartholomew. He died in London aged 61.
W. L. Walton was a lithographer of landscapes, topographical views, military and transport subjects after works by contemporary artists. He worked for the firm of lithographic printers Day & Son in London.

Places

Turkey (as place name)

Subjects

horseback, topography, camel, horse, donkey, hill, cliff, boy, man, girl, gravestone, archaeological site, road, path

Materials & Techniques

lithograph, colour lithograph

Artist

Sir George Scharf (1820 - 1895)
Charles Joseph Hullmandel (1789 - 1850)
W L Walton

Title

Rock Tombs at Telmessus

Date

published 1847

Medium

Colour lithograph

Dimensions

height: 44.40 cm, width: 63.40 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Parker Gallery, January 1976

GAC number

12163