View of Rome from the Circo Massimo, Italy, 18th century

View of Rome from the Circo Massimo, gouache on paper laid down on cardboard, dimensions 26 cm x 39 cm, with the frame 40 cm x 53 cm, Italy circa 1760.

The composition depicts an idealized Roman landscape, typical of the vedutismo tradition and the Arcadian taste of the 18th century.

In the foreground, two figures — one standing and the other seated near a water point — animate the scene and introduce a narrative dimension.

On the left, a ruined building with open arcades, partially overgrown with vegetation, evokes the ancient remains so appreciated by Grand Tour artists.

Artists of the 18th century often used this viewpoint from the Circo Massimo as it allowed them to combine picturesque ruins, recognizable monuments, and a pastoral foreground.

The scene brings together characteristic elements of a view from the Circo Massimo, incorporating both Santa Maria in Cosmedin (Bocca della Verità) and the dome of Saint Peter’s.

It is probably an idealized veduta, but based on real topography.