The Ruins of the Colosseum

About this work

This sketch shows a crumbling stone building with jagged edges and broken walls. The ink is dark and uneven, leaving some areas almost blank. A small figure stands in the lower left, looking tiny next to the ruins. The sky above is loose, with quick strokes that feel windy. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show decay—no smooth shapes, just rough edges. This style was common in the 1600s when artists studied ruins as symbols of time passing. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadow with layered lines.