Luigi Rossini

[Interior of the Colosseum]
Veduta del grand interno dell Anfiteatro, detto il Colosseo.

26 x 17.5

Large-scale etching of the Colosseum in Rome by Luigi Rossini, published in Rome in 1820.

This sweeping panorama depicts the interior of the colosseum and emphasises the dilapidated state into which this important classical monument had fallen by the beginning of the C19th. Whole chunks of the outer wall are missing and foliage has taken root at almost every level with roots causing serious damage to the infrastructure and integrity of the building. When completed in AD80 this was the largest ancient amphitheatre in the world and could seat up to 65,000 people. It provided an extraordinary entertainment venue for the people of Rome who flocked to see gladiatorial combat, historical reenactments, festivals and public ceremonies. In this particular print Rossini has depicted a religious ceremony taking place with Christian pilgrims entering the arena in procession and about to visit the stations of the cross.

Rossini is often compared to Piranesi, under whom he studied, but his work is considered to be more accurate and less romantic in its portrayal of the ruins of ancient Rome. Rossini has been called the last great etcher of Roman antiquities and his work is highly sought after by antiquarians and collectors alike. He was working in an age when people were anxious to learn more about classical civilisation and were keen to see a true to life representation of the archaeological ruins. He was a pupil of the Academy of Bologne who went to Rome in 1813 and began working on his Antichita in 1819. By 1823 he had a finished set of plates and the whole were published under the title Antichita Romana.

£850