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A View through Three Arches of the Third Storey of the Colosseum
C.W. Eckersberg (Danish, 1783–1853)
1815
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- height 32 cm, width 49.5 cm, height 43.8 cm, width 61.1 cm
- Culture
- Danish
- Museum
- SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
- Rights
- Public Domain Mark: SMK waives its rights in this photograph, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Teens profiles and older: its museum says too little about what it shows to place it for younger viewers. How works are placed
View at the SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
About this work
During his time in Rome 1813-16 Eckersberg painted many scenes showing the city’s ancient ruins, particularly the Colosseum. He chose several sections from the building’s interior; from the third storey he painted the view of Rome as seen through three arches. He painstakingly depicted everything he saw down to the last detail. The view is a construct, however; the arches have allowed him to link up three slightly separate views, leaving out less interesting areas to create a new, harmonious whole. Eckersberg made a new departure within Danish art by beginning to paint in the open air in Rome, and he completed the painting on site in front of his subject. He undoubtedly used binoculars to reproduce the background details.
