511 - J. BOISSIEU (1736–1810), The Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, 1809, etching

J. BOISSIEU (1736–1810), The Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, 1809, etching Jean Jacques de Boissieu (1736, Lyon – 1810, ibid.): The Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Ideal Landscape, 1809, etching Technique: Etching on paper Inscription: At the bottom, inscribed on the printing plate: “Temple de la Sibylle Tiburtine à Tivoli. Drawn and etched by J. J. De Boissieu in 1809 at the age of 73.” Date: 1809 Description: The circular Temple of Vesta in Tivoli was already regarded as the epitome of ancient harmony and architecture by classical travelers to Rome. By the middle of the 18th century at the latest, it was therefore one of the most famous ancient temples in the scholarly world. Not least because of its spectacular location on a rocky outcrop above a 120-meter waterfall, the temple became an important pilgrimage site for architects, artists, and poets alike for decades. Boissieu, who traveled to Italy in the 1760s, aptly sketched the scenery surrounding the famous circular temple. Surrounded by people measuring the columns with their hands or eyes and gazing in amazement at the completed capitals, the temple becomes the focal point of the entire composition. Even further away from the building, artists can be seen who have taken out their drawing boards and are observing and sketching from various angles. It is hardly noticeable that Boissieu has transformed the actual topography of the site—with its rugged, steeply sloping rock face—into a tranquil river landscape with a waterfall cascading over a comparatively gentle cliff edge. Together with the soft, warmly glowing lines of the etching, this idyllic image of the artists gathered around the famous ruin comes together to form a lifelike ideal landscape in the Campagna Romana. Keywords: Temple, Tivoli, waterfall, cascade, ruin, print, etching, Italy, landscape, antiquity, idyll, longing for Italy, 19th century, Romanticism, Landscape, Italy, Size: Paper: 40.9 cm x 55.0 cm (16.1 x 21.7 in), Plate: 31.5 cm x 41.0 cm (12.4 x 16.1 in), Image area: 27.9 cm x 37.4 cm (11 x 14.7 in) Condition: In fairly good condition. The sheet is heavily discolored due to its age and stained in places along the edge. A clear liquid stain at the bottom left. The corners of the sheet are slightly bumped and creased. Several marginal tears along the lower edge of the sheet, two longer ones repaired with adhesive tape on the reverse. A tear in the top center margin has also been repaired. Some bumping along the edges in places. The image appears clear, though occasionally somewhat pale.