The Palatine Hill, Rome

Camille Corot

1825–26 · Graphite on tan wove paper · Robert Lehman Collection

Recognized as the most influential French landscape painter of the nineteenth century, primarily for his role as a leading practitioner of the Barbizon School, Camille Corot also produced dozens of drawings of the Italian countryside. He traveled to Rome on several occasions to work en plein air (outdoors), and the resulting topographic studies are a fascinating "album" of sites, old and new, built and natural. This meticulous graphite drawing of the ruined villas of the Palatine Hill dates to Corot’s third trip to Italy. The artist deftly organizes vestiges of ancient monuments in obsessively exacting draftsmanship.

Artist

Camille Corot

Date

1825–26

Medium

Graphite on tan wove paper

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Credit line

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975