View of Rome (recto); A Woman's Head In Profile (verso)

A pale gray wash drawing of a city seen across rough, sketched foreground ground. Rooflines, a bell tower, a domed church, and a long plain building rise against a blank sky, with a columned structure at the far left edge. Brush and chalk build soft tonal shadows.

Look closer: A small cross stands atop a tall pole or structure at the far left edge.

Artist

baron François Gérard

Date

ca. 1790–91

Medium

Black chalk, brush and gray wash (recto); pen and iron gall ink (verso)

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

4000 × 2637 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Stephen A. Geiger Gift, 2021