1786
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Tomb of the Horatii and Curiatii, Rome is a 1786 watercolor by John Robert Cozens, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a dim forest with two tall, shadowy towers peeking through the trees. The sky is soft and pale, like early morning or dusk. Everything looks quiet and a little mysterious. The artist used light and dark to make the trees look thick and the towers stand out. The brushstrokes are loose, almost like quick sketches. Check out Romanticism next to see how artists used emotion in their landscapes.
The image depicts the Tomb of the Horatii and Curiatii in Rome, a funerary monument associated with the legendary conflict between the Roman and Alban triplets. The structure features a simple, rectangular design with a stepped base and a flat top, characteristic of ancient Roman funerary architecture. Its plain exterior contrasts with the historical significance of the site, linked to the story of the Horatii and Curiatii brothers. The tomb stands as a surviving example of early Roman burial practices.
Read the full account in the museum source.
John Robert Cozens (1752 – 14 December 1797) was an English painter of romantic watercolour landscapes, nearly all of Continental scenes.
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