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This painting shows classical ruins illuminated by sunlight. A bright blue sky is visible beyond aged red and gray arches covered with green plants. On the right is a tall gray statue of a horse and rider surrounded by broken columns. In the center, people stand and sit among the ruins, gesturing to each other. On the left, water drips down the steps of a large carved fountain with a broken roof. More statues, stairs, and arches are visible in the distance.
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This painting shows classical ruins illuminated by sunlight. A bright blue sky is visible beyond aged red and gray arches covered with green plants. On the right is a tall gray statue of a horse and rider surrounded by broken columns. In the center, people stand and sit among the ruins, gesturing to each other. On the left, water drips down the steps of a large carved fountain with a broken roof. More statues, stairs, and arches are visible in the distance.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

A Capriccio of Roman Ruins

Marco Ricci

Date
1727/1729
Medium
gouache on kidskin
Dimensions
overall: 30.9 × 45.3 cm (12 3/16 × 17 13/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1982.38.2
Credit line
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Time span
1726 to 1750
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • Baroque
  • Venetian
  • fantasy
  • architecture
  • Ruins
Provenance

(Galerie van Diemen & Co., Berlin) 1920; Stichting Nederlandsch Kunstbezit, no. 1216; (sale, Sotheby's, London, 25 March 1982, no. 54); acquired 1982 (via David Tunick) by NGA.

Inscription

on verso labels of Galerie van Diemen & Stichting Nederlandsch; label inscribed: BU. ZII / 48 /Sch.; on verso ingraphite: Hubert Robert [gno.?] Robert des Ruines

NGA object ID 61178. 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.