Arch of Constantine, Rome
1800
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1800
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This painting shows a broken stone arch with carvings of people and animals. The top has a relief of a battle scene, while the middle has a round carving of a face with a wreath. Statues stand on the corners, and the base looks worn and cracked. In front, a few people in old-fashioned clothes walk or stand around, looking at the ruins. The artist used watercolor to show the texture of the stone and sky. The light makes the carvings stand out against the weathered surface. This painting was made in the early 1800s, when artists often painted ancient ruins to show history. If you like this, look up Romanticism next to see how artists used ruins to tell stories.
