Capriccio with Roman Ruins

A pen and brown wash drawing shows a ruined triumphal arch rising on the right, its tall central opening framed by fragmentary columns and walls. Small figures wander the hillside and foreground rubble, while sketchy trees and loose wash suggest a fanciful Roman landscape.

Look closer: Two small figures stand on the hilltop at the far left, nearly lost in the pale sky.

Artist

Francesco Guardi

Date

18th century

Medium

Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over graphite; framing lines in pen and brown ink drawn by the artist; sheet glued onto secondary p

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

3738 × 2595 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, From the Collection of Rita and Frits Markus, Bequest of Rita Markus, 2005