6665 - Olivier, Friedrich

Olivier, Friedrich View of a Roman monastic complex, with the Pyramid of Cestius in the background. Pen in gray and black, washed in brown, over pencil. 14.5 x 23.6 cm. Circa 1818–22. Inspired by the illustrated works *Die Beschreibung Roms* (*A Description of Rome*) and *Die Basilikien des christlichen Roms* (*The Basilicas of Christian Rome*), initiated by the publisher Cotta, Olivier’s interest in Roman sacred architecture was piqued during his stay in the Eternal City between 1818 and 1822. Together with his housemates from the Palazzo Caffarelli—Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Theodor Rehbenitz, and Johann Karl Egger—Olivier frequently visited the Church of S. Sabina on the Aventine Hill. Olivier also engaged in lively exchanges with the historiographer Christian Carl von Bunsen, who collaborated on Cotta’s collection of views. The artist’s Roman sketchbook contains, among other things, depictions of the early Christian basilicas of S. Sabinia, SS. Giovanni e Paolo, S. Stefano Rotondo, S. Balbina, and S. Maria in Aracoeli. In doing so, Olivier strove to capture the simple, block-like exterior architecture of the buildings using economical drawing techniques. Our sheet, which was most likely removed from a sketchbook, fits perfectly into this group of architectural drawings from his Roman period in terms of its artistic conception. - We ask that you request condition reports for the lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.