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The image depicts a sketch of a historical stone building with archway architecture and a tall cylindrical structure rising from it. The sketch shows a low horizon with ruins and sketchy trees to the right. Delicate pencil strokes create a light effect, defining the ruins and foliage. The monochromatic grayscale palette emphasizes line and shading for depth. The building is detailed while the distant parts and trees fade into the background.
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The image depicts a sketch of a historical stone building with archway architecture and a tall cylindrical structure rising from it. The sketch shows a low horizon with ruins and sketchy trees to the right. Delicate pencil strokes create a light effect, defining the ruins and foliage. The monochromatic grayscale palette emphasizes line and shading for depth. The building is detailed while the distant parts and trees fade into the background.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

A Gothic Ruin

James Goodwyn Clonney

Date
c. 1830-1835
Medium
graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
image (irregular): 13.97 × 13.02 cm (5 1/2 × 5 1/8 in.) sheet: 22.54 × 17.78 cm (8 7/8 × 7 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2015.19.2645
Credit line
Corcoran Collection (Gift of J. William Middendorf, II, 1977)
Time span
1826 to 1850
Department
CG-W
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • American
  • architecture
  • Ruin
Provenance

J. William Middendorf, II, McLean, Virginia; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1977; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

NGA object ID 180567. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.