Houses on the North Side of the Forum with the Basilica of Maxentius Beyond

1746/1749

Joseph-Marie Vien

Associated Names
Joseph-Marie Vien

Artist, French, 1716 - 1809

The image depicts buildings viewed from street level. The horizon is low and marked by the tops of rustic structures. In the distance, there are arches or ruins. The drawing uses loose pencil strokes for a sketchy effect. The color palette is monochromatic, featuring various shades of gray. Some small figures and indistinct forms are visible, indicating activity.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black chalk on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 13 x 18.5 cm (5 1/8 x 7 5/16 in.)
    page size: 42.5 x 27.7 cm (16 3/4 x 10 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1983.49.189

Associated Artworks

See all 54 artworks
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.

Fountain in a Courtyard

Charles Louis Clérisseau

1768

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

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

Exhibition History

2009

  • Renaissance to Revolution: French Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, 1500-1800. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2009, 138-140, 283, no. 60b (color).

Bibliography

1988

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

1990

  • Méjanès, Jean-François, in Acquisitions, 1684-1989. Exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Cabinet des dessins. Paris, 1990: 81, under no. 116 (Vien album).

1993

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

Wikidata ID

Q64591493

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