Coliseum
c. 1867
Medium
Albumen print
Dimensions
Image/paper: 30.2 × 41.1 cm (11 15/16 × 16 3/16 in.); Mount: 49 × 64 cm (19 5/16 × 25 1/4 in.)
Classification
albumen silver print
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
54469
Art Historical Context
Step into the majestic ruins of Rome's Colosseum through Robert MacPherson's captivating *Coliseum* (c. 1867), an albumen silver print that freezes the ancient amphitheater's weathered grandeur in exquisite detail. Australian-born photographer Robert MacPherson, who settled in Rome in the 1840s, became renowned for his meticulous documentation of the city's classical antiquities. Working during the height of the Grand Tour era when wealthy Europeans flocked to Italy for cultural inspiration, MacPherson's images offered unprecedented access to these iconic sites, bridging the gap between travel...
About the Artist
Robert MacPherson · 1811–1872
Robert Macpherson (1811–1872) was a Scottish artist who began his career in medicine before pivoting to painting and ultimately pioneering photography in Rome. Born in the Tayside region near Edinburgh, he enrolled at the University of Edinburgh in 1831 to study medicine but left without graduating after four years. He then trained at the Royal Scottish Academy, where he exhibited portraits from 1...