Ruins of an Ancient City
John Martin (British, 1789–1854)
c. 1810–20
Medium
oil on paper, mounted on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 95.6 × 118.6 cm · framed: 118.5 × 142 × 8 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Accession Number
1981.13
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
The painting depicts an imagined scene of a ruined ancient city bathed in the nostalgic glow of twilight. The artist's detailed, almost archeological, interest in these Greek or Roman buildings is characteristic of neoclassicism, although the composition—which plunges suddenly from the foreground into a deep valley—and dramatic lighting are typical of Romantic painting.