Artwork
View of the Basilica of Constantine from the Palatine, Rome
View of the Basilica of Constantine from the Palatine, Rome is an unspecified painting by the French Romanticist artist Jean-Charles-Joseph Rémond. It dates from 1822 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
Its subject, the ruins of the Basilica of Constantine viewed from the Palatine Hill, aligns with Rémond’s documented Roman vedute of the early 19th century.
The View of the Basilica of Constantine from the Palatine, Rome was painted in 1822 by Jean-Charles-Joseph Rémond, as indicated by the artist’s date and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s accession records. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains held. Its subject, the ruins of the Basilica of Constantine viewed from the Palatine Hill, aligns with Rémond’s documented Roman vedute of the early 19th century.
The painting View of the Basilica of Constantine from the Palatine, Rome is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It entered the museum’s collection as part of the institution’s holdings, recorded under the museum’s ownership. The work measures 32.4 cm in height and 27 cm in width, dating to 1822.
No specific accession number is documented in the available sources, and the sources do not detail any exhibition history for this piece.
Overview
Jean-Charles-Joseph Rémond's 1822 painting, View of the Basilica of Constantine from the Palatine, Rome, offers a romanticized vision of ancient ruins. This work, now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, exemplifies the artist's engagement with historical landscapes. It features the remnants of Roman architecture set within a serene natural environment, reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities prevalent during the early 19th century.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the crumbling red brick arches of the Basilica of Constantine, viewed from the Palatine Hill, dominating the foreground. Beyond these ancient structures, a wide path leads towards a distant town, framed by tall trees and rolling hills under a bright sky. This composition blends the decay of a powerful past with the tranquility of an enduring natural world, a common theme in Romantic landscape painting.
Technique & Style
Rémond's artistic approach aligns with French Romanticism, emphasizing the picturesque and the emotional resonance of historical sites. He employs loose brushstrokes, particularly noticeable in the expansive sky, which features fluffy white clouds bathed in soft pink light. This technique contributes to a dreamy, evocative atmosphere, enhancing the sense of timelessness and the sublime inherent in the ancient Roman setting.
Context
During the early 19th century, the depiction of classical ruins within natural settings was a favored motif among artists, particularly those associated with Romanticism. Rémond's focus on 'landscape history' reflects this trend, where the decaying structures of antiquity served not merely as architectural subjects but as powerful symbols of the passage of time, human endeavor, and the enduring beauty of nature.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Charles-Joseph Rémond (born in Paris in 1795 and died in Paris in 1875) was a French painter, pupil of Jean-Victor Bertin and Jean-Baptiste Regnault.
