Luigi Rossini's etching, “View of a Portion of the Ruins of the Walkway of the Ground Floor of the Colosseum”, 1821

Luigi Rossini (1790–1857)

“View of a Portion of the Ruins of the Walkway of the Ground Floor of the Colosseum” (Caltech Archives’ title) (aka “Veduta di Porzione degli Avanzi dell' Ambulacro del piano terra nel Colosseo”) 1821, plate 79 from the series of 101 engravings, “Le Antichità romane ossia raccolta delle più interessanti vedute di Roma antica" (Buildings and Ruins in Rome and Vicinity), published in two volumes in Rome in 1823 and later in 1829.

Etching on wove paper with wide margins (as published?).

Size: (sheet) 67.2 x 50.5 cm; (plate) 46 x 38.9 cm; (image borderline) 44.3 x 38 cm.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Rossini dis. e. inc.”; (centre) “Veduta di Porzione degli Avanzi dell' Ambulacro del piano terra nel Colosseo”; (right) “Roma 1821. / T.79.”

Condition: richly inked, superb impression with wide margins. The sheet is in excellent condition for its age (i.e. there are no holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing, but there is a small closed tear on the upper left edge of the margin).

I am selling this huge etching showing a ground level walkway inside the Colosseum—note how Rossini (like Piranesi) gave a touch of theatricality to his depiction of buildings by using strong chiaroscuro lighting and by ensuring that any awestruck visitors were appropriately small—for a total cost of AU$480 (currently US$330.33/EUR298.22/GBP264.11 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this spectacularly large and rare print—it is not in the collection of the British Museum or the Rijksmuseum—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold