Artwork
A Corner of the Colosseum
A Corner of the Colosseum is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Friedrich Olivier. It dates from 1820 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:by the artist, lower left in brown ink: Rom / Sonntags den 27sten Februar 1820. / Prdgt. EIW NAM EID LEBIB. / UZ NESEL EBAH. / TXET. Vom Cananäischen Weibe. / Ein Stück des Collisseums. (Rome, Sunday the 27th February. The text read out of the Bible was the Canaanite Woman. A piece of the Colosseum.) by the artist, lower left in graphite: Sonntag den 27 Prgt (remainder undeciphered); by later hand, lower left verso in graphite: Fol. VICX (?)
About this work
Overview
Friedrich Olivier’s 1820 drawing titled A Corner of the Colosseum is executed with pen, brown ink, and a brown wash applied over a graphite underdrawing on wove paper. The work records a fragment of the ancient arena, focusing on a deteriorated corner where stone and archwork meet the open sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a segment of the ruined amphitheater, emphasizing the weathered stone column in the foreground and the fragmented arches that reveal patches of sky. Vegetation encroaches on the masonry, suggesting the passage of time and the gradual reclamation of the structure by nature.
Technique & Style
Olivier employs a limited brown palette, building depth through layered washes and fine cross‑hatching that renders the texture of stone and foliage. The underlying graphite sketch provides structural guidance, while the ink work defines edges and shadows, creating a sense of three‑dimensional decay.
Context
Created in the early nineteenth century, the drawing reflects the period’s growing interest in antiquarian studies and the romantic fascination with ruins. It remains a paper work attributed to Olivier, documented as part of his oeuvre that frequently explored historic architecture and its fading grandeur.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
