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Ancient ruins in and near Rome

J. Cousins

1779

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism 18th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Ancient ruins in and near Rome is a 1779 by J. Cousins, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: J. Cousins
When & what style?: 1779 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows old stone buildings with crumbling walls and arches. The lines are light and faint, like someone quickly traced the shapes with a pencil. There’s a big tower on the right and a smaller archway in the middle, with a few scattered people drawn in tiny strokes. The paper looks worn, with brown stains and smudges, almost like it’s been handled a lot. It’s not a finished painting—just rough lines and shadows to capture the look of ancient ruins. If you like this style, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build up details with lines.

The story of this work

Overview

The artwork depicts a sketch of the Porta San Sebastiano in Rome, created by J. Cousins in 1779. It was originally part of an album of architectural designs assembled by Charles James Richardson before being acquired by the museum in 1863.

Read the full account in the museum source.