Animations:

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
Featured event:

Block Party
Join us June 6
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
Featured event:

Block Party
Join us June 6
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Roman Ruins with a Sepulchre

Charles Louis Clérisseau

Associated Names

Charles Louis Clérisseau

Artist, French, 1722 - 1820

The image shows the interior of a stone structure with views of ancient ruins outside. There is an archway with stone carvings and columns in the foreground. Detailed elements like tombs and statues are visible on the right. In the distance, there are more ruins, trees, and buildings. The painting features gentle brushstrokes, creating light and shadow play on stone surfaces. The color palette consists of muted earth tones like gray and brown, lending an aged quality to the scene. Shadows and highlights create depth and atmosphere in the composition.

Download

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

pen and gray ink with watercolor on laid paper
Credit Line

Gift of William B. O'Neal, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Dimensions

overall: 26.2 x 36.9 cm (10 5/16 x 14 1/2 in.)
Accession Number

1991.150.13

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Seiferheld and Co., New York; William B. O'Neal [1907-1994] Charlottesville, VA, January 1971; gift to NGA, 1991.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1971

Master Drawings from the O'Neal Collection, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond and tour, 1971-72.

1981

The Grand Tour and Beyond: British Travel Narratives of the Continent, the Middle and Far East, Africa and the American Colonies, Alderman Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Feb 22-April 30, 1981.

2019

Thomas Jefferson Architect: Palladian Models, Democratic Principles, and the Conflict of Ideals, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, 2019-2020, plate 31, repro.

Bibliography

1972

"Master Drawings to be Displayed by Museum Traveling Exhibition," The Register: Danville, VA, Oct 15, 1972
"O'Neal Art on Exhibit," The Register: Danville, VA, Oct 16, 1972

1993

National Gallery of Art. Drawings from the O'Neal Collection. Exh. cat. Washington, 1993, checklist p. 92.

2019

DeWitt, Lloyd, and Piper Corey.Thomas Jefferson, Architect: Palladian Models, Democratic Principles, and the Conflict of Ideals. Exh. cat. Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, 2019-2020: 163, plate 31.

Inscriptions

lower left in brown ink: Clerisseau

Wikidata ID

Q64538713

You may be interested in