View of the Remains of Caracalla's Baths, Taken from the Jesuits Gardens at Rome
1778
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1778
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows ancient Roman bath ruins rising behind a grassy hill. The artist used etching and aquatint, a method that mixes acid and resin to make soft gray tones. Richard Cooper II made this in 1778 during the Grand Tour era, when Europeans traveled to sketch ruins. The print captures the ruins’ quiet, crumbly beauty without showing people. Look at how the overgrown plants frame the stones. Compare this to Cooper’s earlier work in Rome. Cooper II, Richard
