The Ruins of the Colosseum

1629

Giovanni Battista Mercati

Associated Names
Giovanni Battista Mercati

Artist, Italian, 1591-1645

The image displays the interior of an ancient stone structure. Arched openings with heavy stone blocks frame the scene, leading to more arches and columns in the distance. The horizon is obscured by the architecture. The work features detailed line work, with cross-hatching and parallel lines providing shading and texture for the stone. The color palette is monochromatic, using shades of black and white to emphasize contrast and detail. The ground is rocky and uneven, leading towards a brighter area in the distance.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.
Not on view See artworks now on view

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Andrée and Jonathan Bober

  • Dimensions

    plate: 9.4 × 12.9 cm (3 11/16 × 5 1/16 in.)
    sheet: 15.1 × 21.5 cm (5 15/16 × 8 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2022.189.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Bartsch 1802 - 1821, no. 61

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Enrico Cortona, Milan, c. 1990); Jonathan Bober, Washington, D.C.; gift to NGA, 2022.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1802

  • Bartsch, Adam. Le peintre graveur. 21 vols. Vienna, 1802-1821: no. 61

Inscriptions

upper right in image: Listesle; lower right in plate: 50; by later hand, upper center verso in graphite: 61

You may be interested in

Loading Results