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Temple of Mars Ultor, Rome

Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts | CC0 1.0

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Date

1840-1845

Artist

James Holland (1799-1870)

Collection

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Image Link

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/671066

Description

Holland first visited Italy in 1835, returned often, and became known for his Venetian subjects. Here he depicts a corner of Rome's Forum of Augustus, using broad washes in a manner that recalls Richard Parks Bonington. His restrained tonality, indicating a date before 1845 and is appled to describe light and shadow playing across the ruined Temple of Mars Ultor (Mars the Avenger), erected by the emperor Augustus after a victory in 42 BC. Three Corinthian columns from the original long colonnade abut the fragmentary sanctuary. A later wall at right incorporates a triumphal arch of Tiberius built in 19 AD, known familiarly as the Arco dei Panani (the latter word derived from the Italian for fen refering to the swampy character of the site). The Via di Tor de' Conti enters the Forum through this span, and Holland represents buildings on the far side, and an oxcart in the foreground to establish the scale. When he made this drawing, the ground level was much higher than today. Medium: watercolor over graphite.

Image Licence

CC0 1.0

Image Credit

Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts

Location

Campo Martius, Rome, Italy

Country

Medium

Tags

Architecture
Roads
Ruins

Category

Buildings & Architecture

Glossary
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© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform

© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform