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Sculptures, the Navicella on the Caelian - The Marble Model of a Boat found in the time of Leo X

John Henry Parker

1866

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Sculptures, the Navicella on the Caelian - The Marble Model of a Boat found in the time of Leo X is a 1866 photographic by John Henry Parker, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: John Henry Parker
When & what style?: 1866 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This photograph shows a stone boat sculpture on a pedestal. The boat is old and weathered, with intricate carvings on its sides. It sits on a square base with some writing on it. The background is blurry, but it looks like a park or garden with trees and a building in the distance. The sculpture is surrounded by a few other stone objects, but they're not as prominent as the boat. The whole scene has a calm, serene atmosphere. If you like this kind of photography, you might want to check out more works by Parker, John Henry.

The story of this work

Overview

The photograph depicts a marble boat sculpture mounted on a pedestal on the Caelian Hill in Rome, later converted into a fountain in 1931. Part of a broader documentation project led by John Henry Parker between 1864 and 1879, the image is one of over 3,300 photographs recording Rome’s monuments and artworks from antiquity to the 1600s. The series, published in Parker’s *Archaeology of Rome*, was produced with the assistance of local and international photographers and is now held in part by the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

John Henry Parker

John Henry Parker liked to explore old churches in Rome. He'd photograph the sculptures and carvings he found. One thing that stands out is his attention to detail - he'd capture tiny parts of bigger pieces, like the…

See the richer artist page