Interior of the Colosseum
1838
gouache
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1838
gouache
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Interior of the Colosseum is a 1838 gouache by Ippolito Caffi, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This painting shows a ruined stone arena with crumbling arches and walls. People in old-fashioned clothes walk or sit around the empty space. The sky is light blue with soft clouds, and the buildings nearby look worn but still standing. Notice how the artist used soft colors and loose brushstrokes to show the ruins as both grand and decayed. This style was popular in the 1800s when artists focused on emotion and history. If you like this, check out the technique: watercolor, glazing.
