Saint-Francois (?) dans un paysage de ruines
1768, published 1770
Classification
architecture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Whitney Warren
Accession Number
1958-136-1-w
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Saint-Francois (?) un paysage de ruines** *Jean-Laurent LegeayFrench, ca. 1710–86), 1768 (published 1770)*Jean-Laurent Legeay, a architect and engraver active in Rome during the mid-18th century, this intriguing work amid the Enlightenment's fascination with antiquity. Titled *Saint-Francois (?) dans paysage de ruines*suggesting a tentative depiction of Saint Francis amid crumbling structures—it exemplifies Legeay's specialty in architectural capriccios. These imaginative compositions blended real ruins with fantastical elements, reflecting the era's Romantic interest in decay as a metapho...