Situatione del Tempio di Vesta a Tivoli, dirimpetto la Cascata
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 28.1 x 37.7 cm (11 1/16 x 14 13/16 in.) sheet: 39.2 x 49.2 cm (15 7/16 x 19 3/8 in.)
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
New Century Fund
Accession Number
2003.86.47
Art Historical Context
In 1798, Austrian artist Albert Christoph Dies captured timeless allure of ancient Rome's outskirts in his etching *Situatione del Tempio Vesta a Tivoli, dirimpetto la Casc* ("View of the Temple Vesta at Tivoli Opposite the Waterfall"). Perched on a rocky outcrop above the cascading Aniene River, the petite, circular Temple of Vesta— the so-called Temple of the Sib—stands as a poignant relic of Republican Rome (c. 1st century B.C.). Dies, a skilled landscapist who journeyed through Italy during the Napoleonic era, masterfully framed this picturesque ruin against the dramatic torrent, evoking t...
About the Artist
Albert Christoph Dies
Albert Christoph Dies (1755–1822) was a German painter and writer who spent a significant portion of his career in Italy, working in the landscape tradition that drew so many Northern European artists to Rome during the late eighteenth century. Born in Hanover, Dies trained in the artistic milieu of the time and eventually made his way to Rome, where he became part of the community of German-speak...