View of the Caelian Hill, Rome, with the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, seen from the Aventine, Rome
ca. 1750
Medium
Black chalk, pen and black ink, brush and brown and gray wash
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 7/8 × 17 5/16 in. (30.1 × 44 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Isaacson-Draper Foundation Gift, in honor of Furio Rinaldi, 2017
Accession Number
2017.96
Tags
Art Historical Context
Joseph Vernet’s “View of the Caelian Hill, Rome” captures a sweeping vista from the Aventine toward the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, one of Rome’s storied early Christian basilicas. Created around 1750 during the French artist’s extended stay in Italy, the drawing reflects the era’s fascination with the Eternal City among European travelers on the Grand Tour. Vernet, celebrated for his luminous landscapes and marine views, here turns his eye to Rome’s layered topography, blending ancient ruins with Baroque church towers to evoke both timeless grandeur and lived urban life. Executed in bl...