Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
French, 1796–1875
Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome
c. 1830–32
Corot transformed this relatively traditional view along Rome’s Tiber River into an exploration of volume and light. The row of houses on the left provides a counterpoint to the monumental structure on the right—the Castel Sant'Angelo, originally built as a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian. The arches of the bridge mimic the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Bold patches of unblended paint give the scene a freshness and spontaneity. The artist sketched these landmarks during an extended stay in Rome, but probably completed this painting in his Paris studio several years later.
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 13 1/2 x 18 in. (34.3 x 45.7 cm) Frame: 20 x 24 5/8 x 1 7/8 in. (50.8 x 62.5 x 4.8 cm) |
| Object Number | 1955.555 |
| Acquisition | Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark before 1955 |
| Status | On View |
Image Caption
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, c. 1830–32, oil on canvas. Clark Art Institute, 1955.555
Provenance
Paul Tesse, Paris (by 1875–76, his sale, Drouot, Paris, 11 Mar. 1876, no. 22, as Rome); Ernest May, Paris (until 1890, his sale, Georges Petit, Paris, 4 June 1890, no. 18, ill., sold to Roux); Antony Roux, Paris (1890–1914, his sale, Georges Petit, Paris, 19 May 1914, no. 4, ill., sold to Knoedler, as agent for Robert S. Clark, on behalf of Edward S. Clark); Edward Severin Clark (1914–d. 1933, by descent to Stephen C. Clark); Stephen Carlton Clark (1933–46, sold to Durand-Ruel, 1946); [Durand-Ruel, New York, sold to Robert S. Clark, 28 June 1946]; Robert Sterling Clark (1946–55); Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, 1955.
