1650
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Veuë de la Navicule St. Estienne le Rond et du Colisée de Rome is a 1650 ink by Israël Silvestre, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a quiet scene of old ruins and a river. On the right stands a tall, crumbling tower. In the middle, a castle-like gate sits beside a small bridge over the water. Trees and bushes line the banks, and a few tiny figures walk along the path. The title at the bottom names the Colosseum and a nearby church—this is Rome in the 1600s. The artist used fine lines to show light and shadow, making the ruins look solid yet worn. Next, check out the technique: etching to see how artists like this carved images into metal.
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.
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