The Marble Steps leading up to the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome
1850
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
1850
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
This painting shows a wide set of stone steps climbing up to a big, old church. People in old-fashioned clothes walk up and down, while a woman in a pink dress stands near a stone railing. Two black dogs lie on a ledge, and a man in dark clothes talks to someone off-canvas. The buildings on either side are made of warm-toned stone, with small windows and simple roofs. The church at the top has a simple door with a cross above it, and the steps lead straight to it. The scene looks like a quiet moment in a small town, with cobblestones on the ground and a few scattered posts along the steps. If you like this kind of detailed outdoor scene, look up chiaroscuro next.
