An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
View of the Colosseum from the Orti Farnesiani1833
Artist: Antoine-Félix Boisselier
French, 1790 - 1857
View of the Colosseum from the Orti Farnesiani
28 5/8 x 37 1/2 in. (72.71 x 95.25 cm) (sight)
37 x 45 5/8 x 3 3/4 in. (93.98 x 115.89 x 9.53 cm) (outer frame)
29 1/4 x 38 1/2 in. (74.3 x 97.79 cm) (canvas)
Oil on canvas
Painting
France
19th century
Gift of Wheelock Whitney III
In a breathtaking landscape where the virtues of heaven and earth entwine, a serene scene unfolds. The sun hangs high in the sky, casting a warm, radiant light over ancient ruins that whisper stories of a glorious past. In this moment, a monk, a Capuchin, finds solace on an overturned column, now a humble seat in the embrace of nature’s beauty.
His light-brown robe flows gently around him, the small hood framing his thoughtful face; it is the very color that inspired the famous cappuccino. As the midday sun bathes the ruins of the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus, the monk sits peacefully, although his thoughts drift far from the bustling city that once thrived here. He is lost in the rhythm of his daily prayers, a quiet conversation with the divine, where time folds in on itself and the noise of the world fades like echoes in an empty hall.
With each deep breath, he absorbs the beauty surrounding him—the vibrant greens of the lush grass, the textured stones that have stood for centuries, bearing witness to the passage of time. Urban legends swirl around him like the soft breeze, but in this moment, he is anchored in a deeper truth, one untouched by fables.
Here, in this luminous landscape, the monk becomes part of a timeless tapestry. He embodies a harmony that resonates with all who dare to pause and feel the connection between the sacred and the past—where every crack in the ancient stone tells a story, and every ray of light becomes a thread linking the heavens to the earth.
About the artist
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