1650
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Veduta dei Coliseo is a 1650 ink by Israël Silvestre, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white drawing of a ruined building with trees in the foreground. The scene shows a mix of crumbling stone arches and a few small figures walking near the water’s edge. The right side has a tall, partially standing wall with arched windows, while the left side shows a smaller archway with a tree leaning over it. The title at the top calls it a "view of the Colosseum," which matches the ruins shown. The artist used fine lines to show light and shadow, giving the old stones texture. Want to know more? Try looking up etching to see how this technique works.
Israel Silvestre (13 August 1621 in Nancy – 11 October 1691 in Paris), called the Younger to distinguish him from his father, was a prolific French draftsman, etcher and print dealer who specialized in topographical views and perspectives of famous buildings.
See the richer artist page
