Possibly by Théodore Caruelle d'Aligny, 'Ruined Column in the Baths of Caracalla, Rome', 1824-7
About the work
Overview
The Baths of Caracalla, Rome’s second largest public baths, was a popular site for oil-sketching. Here the foreground is broadly worked, the grass flatly painted in a bright lemon green. By contrast the architecture is more sharply and intricately painted, with details in the dark red brickwork picked out, such as the archway at the lower left. The ruined column is starkly defined against the sun-drenched sky, making for a highly dramatic view.
The glossy surface to the architecture combined with the high-keyed tonality has led to this sketch being attributed to Théodore Caruelle d'Aligny, a historical landscapist who made his debut at the Salon in 1822 with Daphnis and Chloe (now lost). From 1824 to 1827 he lived and worked in Italy, where he became friends with Jean-Baptiste- Camille Corot, who was in Italy between 1825 and 1828.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Ruined Column in the Baths of Caracalla, Rome
- Artist
- Possibly by Théodore Caruelle d'Aligny
- Artist dates
- 1798 - 1871
- Date made
- 1824-7
- Medium and support
- oil on paper, mounted on canvas
- Dimensions
- 42.7 × 28 cm
- Inscription summary
- Dated and inscribed
- Acquisition credit
- Presented by the Lishawa family, 2018
- Inventory number
- NG6673
- Location
- Room 39
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 19th-century French Frame
Provenance
Additional information
This painting is included in a list of works with incomplete provenance from 1933–1945; for more information see Whereabouts of paintings 1933–1945.
Text extracted from the National Gallery’s Annual Report, ‘The National Gallery: Review of the Year, April 2018 – March 2019’.
Bibliography
-
2019National Gallery, The National Gallery: Review of the Year, April 2018 - March 2019, London 2019
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.