Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius

A rider on a horse stands atop a tall pedestal at the center of a ruined classical court. Broken columns, fallen blocks and an entablature frame the statue, while small figures rest and gesture among the rubble in the foreground. Pen, ink and gray and brown wash build soft, atmospheric light.

Look closer: A small reclining figure lies on the broken block at the right, partly hidden by rubble.

Artist

Hubert Robert

Date

1757

Medium

Pen and black ink, brush and gray and brown wash, pale rose watercolor and white heightening over black chalk.

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

4000 × 3304 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Robert Lehman Collection, 1975