View of the Ruins of the Palatine Hill
before 1704
Medium
Pen and black and brown ink; brush and gray wash, over traces of red chalk, partially squared in black chalk
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 9/16 × 8 3/8 in. (16.7 × 21.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Helen and János Scholz, 1958
Accession Number
58.648.2(44)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
**View of the Ruins of the Palatine Hill** by Jan Goeree (before 1704) captures timeless allure of ancient Rome's Palatine Hill, one of the city's seven legendary hills and the mythic birthplace of Romulus and Remus. This intricate drawing depicts crumbling imperial structures amid everyday life—men and horses navigating the monumental remnants—evoking the grandeur and decay of classical antiquity. Goeree, Dutch artist known for his precise architectural views, likely created this during the late Baroque era, when European travelers flocked to Italy on the Grand Tour, sketching ruins to inspire neoclassical revival back home. Rendered in pen and black and brown ink with brush and gray wash over faint red chalk traces, the work showcases Goeree's meticulous technique. The partial black chalk squaring suggests it served as a preparatory study, possibly for an engraving or larger composition, allowing precise transfer of details. This mixed-media approach heightens drama through subtle tonal contrasts, bringing the sunlit stones and shadowed arches to life on a modest 6 9/16 × 8 3/8 in. sheet. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Helen and János Scholz, 1958), this piece reflects the 17th-century fascination with Rome's ruins as symbols of enduring legacy, blending historical reverence with artistic innovation for generations of admirers.
About the Artist
Jan Goeree · 1670–1731
Comment on works: Painter; Draughtsman; Engraver; History; Subjects in landscapes