Capriccio of Classical Ruins with Boats

Agnew Gallery, London; Ryan; Christie’s, London, Important Pictures by Old Masters, July 2, 1965, lot 125 (sold to Ryan) listed as "The Property of a Lady of Title"

• Haggerty Museum of Art. "The Cult of Ruins: Visions of Antiquity in the Eighteenth Century." Milwaukee: Haggerty Museum of Art, 1999

• Cult of Ruins, The: Visions of Antiquity in the Eighteenth Century: Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, 3/26/1999–5/2/1999
• Recent Acquisitions: Elvehjem Art Center, 6/11/1971–8/29/1971

This large painting depicts the architectural ruins of an ancient city situated along a waterfront. The ruins dominate the composition, featuring a long, crumbling colonnade that stretches across the canvas from the right foreground to the left midground. The columns support a broken entablature, and the structure is partially overgrown with ivy and shrubs. Toward the right, the ruins become more massive, featuring weathered arches and a vaulted structure that suggests a grand, decayed building. The frieze and vaults are embellished with figural and diamond-shaped carvings. In the right foreground, a stone fountain, adorned with indistinct figures and a lion or sphinx, stands prominently, partially obscured in dark shadow. The foreground is active with numerous small figures engaged in daily life. On the stone pier and in small boats along the cool blue water, people are seen unloading cargo, drawing water, and conversing. Their small scale emphasizes the colossal nature of the ancient architecture. The painting uses a muted palette of earthy browns, tans, and soft blues and greys. The light suggests a late afternoon or early evening setting, with soft illumination defining the textures of the stone. In the distance, other ancient structures, including a tall stone wall surrounding the city, stand under a vast, cloud-filled sky.

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