La Compagnia dei sacconi al Colosseo (Penitents Praying at Altars in the Colosseum)
1829
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1829
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows three robed figures in a dim, arched space. One man holds a book, another stands with a woman cradling a baby. Behind them, a crowd fills a grand, ruined building with arches and columns—like a stage set. The walls hold framed pictures and crosses, and the light fades toward a distant crowd. The artist used soft watercolor over pencil to blur edges, making the scene feel like a dream. The Colosseum’s ruins peek through the arch, but the focus is on the quiet moment inside. Next, check out Romanticism to see how artists used emotion and light in their work.
![Advanced guard & Baggage of the Royal artillery landi[ng] a[t] Alexandria en route for India](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/605f6f4d9d8dfe93/thumb.webp)
