Roman View

1775/80

Jacques-Louis David

Associated Names
Jacques-Louis David

Artist, French, 1748 - 1825

The image shows an architectural landscape viewed from a slightly elevated point. It captures a grand building complex with the horizon set low in the image. The main building and its annexes are positioned across the horizon, extending from left to right. The central structure is an imposing, fortified building with towers and numerous windows, atop a series of arches. On the right side, there is a cluster of tall, slender trees next to the architecture. The brushstroke technique appears fluid and loose, giving the scene a sketch-like quality. Varying shades of gray suggest depth and contrast. The color palette consists solely of grayscale tones, emphasizing the form and structure of the architecture against the simplicity of the background setting.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gray wash over graphite on laid paper, the wash extending slightly into the album page

  • Credit Line

    Patrons' Permanent Fund

  • Accession Number

    1998.105.1.rr

Associated Artworks

See all 86 artworks
This is a photograph of a textured brown cover with an intricate pattern. The cover has a rich, earthy tone with a subtle and complex swirling pattern across the surface. It appears to be an old book or journal cover, with a darker brown border outlining it. There is a handwritten red and black text near the top. The overall appearance suggests a vintage or antique quality, with signs of wear along the edges.

Roman Album No. 4: Italian Landscapes and Antiquities

Jacques-Louis David

1775

The image shows a person walking to the right, holding an object in their right hand. They are wearing an ancient Roman or Greek-style draped garment with a head covering. The person's face is in profile, looking slightly upward. Garlands with objects like a basket and cloth hang in the air around them. The background is plain, emphasizing the person and the hanging objects.

Ornament with a Bearded Man in Ancient Dress

Jacques-Louis David

1775

This image shows an illustration of a woman standing upright. She is wearing flowing garments that suggest movement, with one knee bent as if in motion. Her hair is styled in tight curls and appears to be pulled back. The woman's facial expression is focused as she gazes upward or forward. She seems to be holding something in her right hand, while her left arm is hidden. The background is plain.

Niobe and Her Daughter

Jacques-Louis David

1775


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Estate of the artist (sale, Paris, 17 April 1826, under no. 66; withdrawn); Mme. David (sale, Paris, 11 March 1835, under no. 16); purchased by one of David's pupils, Mlle. X (name obliterated);[1] by descent in her family; (Bruno de Bayser, Paris); purchased 1998 by NGA.
[1] According to inscription on flyleaf.

Associated Names

Bibliography

2022

  • Stein, Perrin. Jacques Louis David: Radical Draftsman. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2022, 94, fig. 60.

Inscriptions

across bottom in graphite: du Sens Ordinaire; lower left: paraphes of E.D. and J.D.

Wikidata ID

Q64580186

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