The Arch of Titus and the Coliseum, Rome

1846

The Arch of Titus and the Coliseum, Rome, 1846. Thomas Hartley Cromek (British, 1809–1873). Watercolor with black ink and graphite underdrawing; sheet: 52.4 x 36 cm (20 5/8 x 14 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Reverend and Mrs. Danila Pascu 1975.149 Thomas Hartley Cromek’s detailed renderings of classical ruins in Italy and Greece appealed to British visitors seeking mementos of their Grand Tour travels. Like many artists of his generation, Cromek went to Italy as a young man and settled in Rome, remaining abroad for 20 years and establishing a solid reputation as a watercolorist. Periodically he returned to England to court potential patrons and sell his work. Upon one of these journeys home, he was summoned to Buckingham Palace where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased several watercolors. This drawing exemplifies the topographical accuracy and clarity of Cromek’s most successful work. According to a ledger recording Thomas Hartley Cromek's sales, the artist sold 13 versions of the image seen in this drawing.