Ramsgate Harbour, Kent

Robert Blemmell Schnebbelie (1792-1849)

inscribed ‘Ramsgate Harbour engraved in the Stationers’ Almanac’ verso <br> pen and grey ink and watercolour over pencil heightened with touches of bodycolour <br> 7 ¼ x 15 ¾ in. (18.5 x 40 cm.) <br> <br> PROVENANCE <br> Sir Bruce Ingram, his Executor’s sales <br> <br> Sadly, there appears to be a dearth of concrete information about Robert Blemmel or Blemmell Schnebbelie. More is known of his grandfather, a Swiss soldier who, having served in the Dutch army settled in Rochester and became a confectioner and his father, Jacob Schnebbelie, a topographical artist who became Draughtsman to the Society of Antiquaries. <br> <br> Robert was one of three children and seems to be the only one to follow in his father’s footsteps, by making a living as a topographical artist. Contributions – mainly pictures of London’s older buildings - to exhibitions at the Royal Academy between 1803 and 1821 attest to his talent. He pursued the normal path of gifted, but patron-less, draughtsmen by accepting the commission to produce the preparatory drawings for the plates of Robert Wilkinson’s ‘Londina Illustrata: graphic and historic memorials of monasteries, chapels, schools, charitable foundations, palaces…in cities and suburbs of London and Westminster’, published in 36 numbers between 1808 and 1825. He also provided drawings to be engraved for Dr Hughson’s ‘Description of London’, published between 1805 and 1809. <br> <br> Schnebbelie disappears from most records after 1825 and, whilst there seems to be some doubt about his date of death (1847 or 1849), there is unanimity about his having fallen on hard times and eventually having starved to death. <br> <br>