Victor-jean Nicolle - View Of The Collisée In Rome - Watercolor Drawing Late 18th Century

Victor-Jean Nicolle was a French draftsman and watercolorist, born in Paris in 1754 and died in 1826. He studied at the École royale gratuite de dessin, where he won first prize for perspective in 1771, a distinction that steered his career towards architectural representation. He then continued his training in the studio of architect Louis-François Petit-Radel, where he discovered the work of Piranesi.

This work is fully in keeping with the Roman production of Victor-Jean Nicolle, an artist renowned for his topographical views and architectural studies produced during his stays in Italy, mainly in Rome (1787-1798 and 1806-1811).The signature "J. V. Nicolle", well attested but less frequent than "V. J. Nicolle", appears notably in works executed during his first stay in Rome (1787-1798). It is mostly found on technical sheets, surveys or field studies - which corresponds perfectly to the analytical character of this view of the Colosseum.

The precision of the drawing, the sobriety of the coloring and the attention paid to structural details testify to Nicolle's training as an architect and his interest in nascent archaeology. The slightly off-center framing allows us to integrate the nearby Arch of Constantine, reinforcing the composition's topographical dimension.

The oval-shaped cut-out drawing is inserted into a watercolor pass, reducing the work to a rectangular shape. It is presented in an Empire period palmettes frame, gilded with gold leaf.

Oval dimensions: 34.7x25.2cm
Total dimensions with frame: 59.5x50.5cm