18th Century, Views Of Rome

18th century
Views of Rome
(9) Tempera on paper, 9 x 14 cm With frame 34 x 40 cm

In the 17th century, the fashion for the Grand Tour spread among the aristocracy, a fashion which continued in the 18th and 19th centuries; the traditional journey made with the aim of improving knowledge and knowledge could last from a few months to three or four years and touched the great European cultural centers, usually ending in Italy. The engravings of the cities, or paintings of small format, carried out to preserve the memory and the memory of this trip begin to spread. All nine colors of tempera can be combined with this use, although it is characterized by significantly above average quality and attention. A typical example of this phenomenon for Rome are the engravings of Piranesi marked by a dramatic intonation, marked by an idea of Roman dignity and magnificence, expressed, as in the nine watercolors, through the grandeur and isolation of the architectural elements and the small size of the figures, in order to arrive at a sublime feeling of grandeur of the ancient past. In these nine maps we find represented the Campo Vaccino, the current area of the Forums, the Piazza del Campidoglio, created by the wonderful architectural direction of Michelangelo, the Colosseum from the outside and the inside, the Piazza San Pierre, the ruins of the Castle of 'Acqua Giulia, a fountain now disappeared also known under the name of "Mario's Trophies", due to the discovery of some sculptures in the Middle Ages, probably made during the Domitian period (81 -96 AD), Trajan's Column, built by Emperor Trajan to celebrate the victory over the Dacians in 113 d. C., the remains of the tablinum (the living room) and the apse of the domus aurea, the large urban villa built by Nero between 64 - 68 AD. They are characterized by excellent pictorial quality, evident in the definition of spaces and architectures, represented by life with great attention to detail and a strong monumental sense to convey the grandeur of the city. The recurring presence in certain papers of two young people, one dressed in red, the other in blue, is perhaps to be associated with the two young people who were making the long journey.