Colosseum

Maker Joseph Wright of Derby (British, 1734-1797)

ClassificationsDRAWINGS

Daten.d.

Mediumwatercolor over traces of graphite on laid paper

Dimensions14 7/8 × 21 1/4 in. (37.8 × 54 cm.)

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

Status

Not on view

Label TextIn 1774, Wright traveled to Rome, where he made studies and drawings of classical sculpture and architecture. He found the Colosseum’s imposing grandeur particularly appealing. This drawing approaches the ancient theater’s iconic arches from an innovative perspective. Wright emphasizes the structure’s immense scale by positioning the viewer within a long, curving series of arcades. The close vantage point draws attention to the picturesque quality of the crumbling stonework and the shafts of light seeping in through massive archways (2022).

Object number66.43

Terms