The Colosseum Seen from the Southeast

Born in the Dutch Republic but active in Rome, Vanvitelli gained fame for his vedute, or detailed views of cityscapes or vistas. These evocative views were popular purchases for eighteenth-century travelers on the Grand Tour. Here, Vanvitelli paints the ruins of the Colosseum washed in a soft afternoon “Roman” light. He carefully renders the arena, implicitly placing the viewer in the scene by lowering the viewpoint; the perspective also helps give a sense of the building’s colossal scale. Vanvitelli increases the effect by widening the panorama, which allows him to include nearby monuments like the Arch of Constantine, the top of which can be seen in the distance to the left of the Colosseum, and the Esquiline Hill on the right.