Fountain in a Courtyard

in or before 1768

Charles Louis Clérisseau

Associated Names
Charles Louis Clérisseau

Artist, French, 1722 - 1820

The image portrays an architectural ruin with a view of vertical elements such as a classical column and an arch. A statue is visible in a niche on the left. The brushstrokes are detailed, capturing the intricacies of the column and flowing water from a fountain. The color palette includes earthy browns, grays, subtle greens, and pale blue-gray. Water in the fountain is depicted with whites and blues. The scene conveys textures of aged stone and flowing water.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and gray ink and watercolor over graphite on laid paper; graphite and brown ink sketches on verso

  • Credit Line

    Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 24.5 x 17.1 cm (9 5/8 x 6 3/4 in.)
    page size: 42.5 x 27.7 cm (16 3/4 x 10 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1983.49.150

Associated Artworks

See all 54 artworks

Album of Drawings of Rome and the Surrounding Countryside

Joseph-Marie Vien, Charles Louis Clérisseau

1744

This is a drawing of an architectural column detail. The drawing showcases the intricate design of a Corinthian column capital, featuring acanthus leaves and volutes typical of this classical style. The upper portion includes the entablature with detailed measurements noted on the sides. The shading and line work emphasize precision and detail, focusing on the decorative and structural elements of the Corinthian order.

L'Ordre Corinthian

Charles Louis Clérisseau

1768

The image shows a sketch of a round, classical-style building with columns. The horizon is placed towards the top of the image, with other structures such as rooftops and a distant tower visible against it. The sketch features bold brushstrokes emphasizing the outlines of the architecture and landscape. The color palette is monochromatic, dominated by black and white contrasts. A small human figure gestures outward in the foreground, with the building positioned beyond it.

The Round Temple on the Piazza Bocca della Verità, Rome

Joseph-Marie Vien

1744

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Antonio Cesare Poggi (died c. 1836; Lugt 617); Charles Edouard Mewes; Mark J. Millard, New York; purchased by NGA, 1983.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1988

  • Gaehtgens, Thomas W. and Jacques Lugand. Joseph-Marie Vien Peintre du Roi (1716-1809). Paris, 1988, 132-133, no. 17a (all Vien drawings repr.)

1993

  • Wiebenson, Dora and Claire Baines. The Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection, Volume I, French Books Sixteenth through Nineteenth Centuries. Washington, DC, 1993, no. 53 (1983.49.187 repr.).

Inscriptions

upper left verso in pen and brown ink: Clerisseau

Wikidata ID

Q64538711

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