Third View of the Colosseum

probably 1550

Hieronymus Cock

Associated Names
Hieronymus Cock

Artist, Netherlandish, 1518 - 1570

The artwork depicts ancient ruins with arched structures from a vantage point that offers a wide perspective. The focus is on the ruins against a cloudy sky. The style includes precise line work giving texture to the stone arches and vegetation. The color palette is monochromatic due to the etching medium, providing contrast. Various figures are shown, some in conversation and others traversing the terrain. The background merges with the sky, emphasizing the age of the ruins.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 23.9 x 33.9 cm (9 7/16 x 13 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1994.80.5

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Hollstein, no. 25

  • Series Title

    Views of Roman Ruins: pl. B [Hollstein 22-46]

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(sale, Christie's, London, 29 November 1994, no. 53); (Christopher Mendez, London via David Tunick, New York); purchased 1994 by NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1949

  • Hollstein, F.W.H. et al. Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts, ca. 1450-1700. 72 Vols. Amsterdam: Menno Hertzberger, 1951: vol. IV (Cock), no. 25.

1971

  • Riggs, Timothy A. "Hieronymus Cock: Printmaker and Publisher." Ph.D. diss., Yale University (1971): no. 4.

Inscriptions

upper left in plate: .B.; upper left to upper center in plate: COLOSSAEI.RO.PROSPECTVS.3.

Wikidata ID

Q75125868

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