Ancient Trees in the Roman Campagna

1850s

Giovanni Costa

Associated Names
Giovanni Costa

Artist, Italian, 1826 - 1903

The image shows a large and gnarled tree with a man standing beside it on a small incline. There is no clear horizon line visible. The tree's trunk is captured with textured bark and dramatic curves using broad brushstrokes, conveying age and grandeur. The color palette consists of earthy browns, muted greens, and soft grays. The man is dressed in simple attire and blends into the scene, adding to the rustic atmosphere. The background is kept minimal, focusing on the tree and the figure.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor over graphite on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 39.8 × 27.5 cm (15 11/16 × 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.108.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

By descent until c. 2005; (Paolo Antonacci, Rome); (Nicolaas Teeuwisse, Berlin); (sale, Christie's South Kensington, 18 July 2012, no. 877, with a second drawing of trees by Costa); (W/S Fine Art, London); (Stephen Ongpin Fine Art, London); purchased by NGA, 2015.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2015

  • Renaissance to Futurism: Italian Drawings 1500 - 1920, London, Stephen Ongpin, 2015, no. 51.

Wikidata ID

Q64572399

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