Capriccio of Classical Ruins with Boats
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Capriccio of Classical Ruins with Boats
1750 - 177018th
38 in. x 52 in. (96.52 cm x 132.08 cm)
Hubert Robert, (1733–1808)
User Text 1 Like many French artists of his time, Hubert Robert went to Italy to study painting. He was in Rome from 1754 until 1765, when he probably painted the Capriccio of Classical Ruins with Boat and its companion piece Capriccio of Classical Ruins with Pyramid. The Italian word capriccio, a musical term meaning whimsical or improvisational, here refers to the playful assemblage of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian objects in the same space. He dramatized his majestic ruins by placing small rustic figures in the scene and by using stage-set lighting with strong shadows in the foreground. Robert became a friend of Italian artists Piranesi and Pannini and introduced their type of romantic ruin-painting to France, although in a more restrained and realistic manner.
Creation Place:
Europe, France
Medium and Support:
Oil on canvas
Credit Line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Firman H. Hass
Accession Number:
71.17
Like many French artists of his time, Hubert Robert went to Italy to study painting. He was in Rome from 1754 until 1765, when he probably painted the Capriccio of Classical Ruins with Boat (71.17) and its companion piece Capriccio of Classical Ruins with Pyramid (71.16). The Italian word capriccio, a musical term meaning whimsical or improvisational, here refers to the playful assemblage of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian objects in the same space. He dramatized his majestic ruins by placing small rustic figures in the scene and by using stage-set lighting with strong shadows in the foreground. In the work with pyramids, nine figures almost dwarfed by the huge columns can be seen in various poses. Part of the ruins of a Roman temple with Corinthian columns dedicated to Lucius Septimus are on our left, a Roman arch similar to the Arch of Titus is in the center, under which is a large sarcophagus with the busts of a couple in the center, and off to the right in the distance is an Egyptian pyramid. An Egyptian sphinx spews water into a fountain on the far right. Robert became a friend of Italian artists Piranesi and Panini introduced their type of romantic ruin-painting to France, although in a more restrained and realistic manner.
Current Location:
Chazen : 135 : Screen39 : L
Additional Images
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Exhibition List
This object was included in the following exhibitions:
- Recent Acquisitions The Elvehjem Art Center , 6/11/1971 - 8/29/1971
- Cult of Ruins, The: Visions of Antiquity in the Eighteenth Century Haggerty Museum of Art , 3/26/1999 - 5/2/1999
Dimensions
- frame Dimensions: in. (cm) Measured by Collins, Brandi
- Overall Dimensions: 38 in. x 52 in. (96.52 cm x 132.08 cm)
Bibliography List
This object has the following bibliographic references:
- Haggerty Museum of Art. "The Cult of Ruins: Visions of Antiquity in the Eighteenth Century." Milwaukee: Haggerty Museum of Art, 1999 . Haggerty Museum of Art. 1999
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