ID: 700008167 Page link: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/cona/700008167	Record Type: Movable Work
Images: 1

The Ruins of the Imperial Palaces in Rome (drawing (visual work); Carl Rottmann (German painter, 1797 - 1850); about 1831; J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center (Los Angeles, Los A...; 2009.12)

Note: This sheet is a vibrantly atmospheric landscape featuring the Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill. It is a preparatory study for a fresco of the same subject that Rottmann executed for King Ludwig I of Bavaria. From 1830 to 1833 the artist worked for Ludwig decorating the walls of the Hofgarden's western arcades with frescoes of famous Italian landscapes, giving the impression of a journey through Italy from north to south with stops at the relevant sites. At the king's behest Rottmann traveled to Italy from 1829-30 to make preparatory studies for this fresco cycle. The artist based the proposed sheet on a pencil sketch he drew on his first journey to Italy in 1826-7 (Munich, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung). He then made a compositional sketch of the ruins of the imperial palaces, squaring it for transfer in 1830 (Heidelberg, Kurpfälzisches Museum). After making the cartoon for the fresco in 1831 (Darmstadt, Hessisches Landesmuseum), Rottmann most likely executed the proposed sheet. One sees evidence of this dating sequence from the fact that the proposed sheet, cartoon and fresco have similar compositional features that are lacking in the drawing squared for transfer. For example, the cows and goats in the immediate right foreground and the portrayal of the luminous ruins in the middle distance are absent in the compositional sketch. It appears Rottmann used the proposed sheet to rework the final placement of compositional details and to test out the effect of sunlight in color before making his fresco. Like many of Rottmann's drawings, a significant part of the landscape is unfinished with the pencil underdrawing exposed. This underdrawing is juxtaposed with a more finished portrayal of the ruins bathed in sunlight. Yet even the more worked up composition remains exceptionally vibrant due to the somewhat loose application of translucent layers of watercolor. The juxtaposition of the non-finito pencil sketch with finished watercolor highlights Rottmann's creative process. Furthermore the spectacular cloud-filled sky and the dramatic contrast of deep shadow and brilliant sunlight on the ruins lend the proposed sheet a visionary quality. The evocation of a sublime experience of nature strongly dominated by emotion is also found in the couplet King Ludwig composed for the finished fresco-"Stumm nur stehet ihr da für die Menge, jedoch den Geweihten/ Redet ihr laut, so da� alles darüber verstummt." (You stand there mute only for the crowd. But to the initiated you talk aloud, so that everything else becomes silent).

Titles:

The Ruins of the Imperial Palaces in Rome (preferred,C,U,RP,English-P,U,U)

Catalog Level: item

Work Types:

drawing (visual work) [300033973] (preferred)

..... (Objects Facet, Visual and Verbal Communication (hierarchy name), Visual Works (hierarchy name), visual works (works), <visual works by material or technique>)

Classifications:

drawings (preferred)

Creation Date: about 1831

Creator Display:

Carl Rottmann (German painter, 1797 - 1850) [preferred,JPGM]

watercolorist Rottmann, Carl (German painter, 1797-1850) [500000776]

Locations:

Current: J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center (Los Angeles, Los Angeles county, California, United States) [500329598] J. Paul Getty Museum, J. Paul Getty Trust, Corporate Bodies (Corp. Body)

Repository Numbers: 2009.12

Other: Creation: Deutschland [7000084] Europe (continent), World (facet) (Geographic)

Display Materials: Graphite and watercolor with touches of white gouache

	graphite (mineral) [300011098]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by composition>, inorganic material, mineral)

	watercolor (paint) [300015045]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by function>, coating (material), <coating by form>, paint (coating), <paint by composition or origin>, water-base paint)

	gouache (paint) [300070114]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by function>, coating (material), <coating by form>, paint (coating), <paint by composition or origin>, water-base paint)

Dimensions: 23.5 x 29.2 cm (9 1/4 x 11 1/2 in.)

Cultures:

German (preferred)

General Subject:

landscapes (preferred)

Specific Subjects:

	ruins [300008057]
	.....(Objects Facet, Built Environment (hierarchy name), Single Built Works (hierarchy name), single built works (built environment), <single built works by specific type>, <single built works by condition>) (AAT)

	palaces (official residences) [300005734]
	.....(Objects Facet, Built Environment (hierarchy name), Single Built Works (hierarchy name), single built works (built environment), <single built works by specific type>, <single built works by function>, residential structures, dwellings, houses, <houses by occupants>, official residences) (AAT)

	goats (genus) [300250122]
	.....(Agents Facet, Living Organisms (hierarchy name), living organisms (entities), Eukaryota (domain), Animalia (kingdom), Chordata (phylum), Vertebrata (subphylum), Mammalia (class), Artiodactyla (order), Bovidae (family)) (AAT)

	sheep (genus) [300250284]
	.....(Agents Facet, Living Organisms (hierarchy name), living organisms (entities), Eukaryota (domain), Animalia (kingdom), Chordata (phylum), Vertebrata (subphylum), Mammalia (class), Artiodactyla (order), Bovidae (family)) (AAT)

	Rome [7000874]
	.....(Roma province (province), Lazio (region (administrative division)), Italy (nation), Europe (continent), World (facet)) (TGN)

Inscriptions: On verso: 5 additional notations and a rudimentary outline of a tower and a further cursory sketch

List/Hierarchical Position:

..... Movable Works

.......... Movable Works by class: drawings, paintings, prints, other two-dimensional media

Sources and Contributors:
The Ruins of the Imperial Palaces in Rome	........ [JPGM,VP]
	........ J. Paul Getty Museum database for collections (2000-)

Subject: ....... [JPGM,VP]

Note:
English	..... [JPGM]
	..... J. Paul Getty Museum database for collections (2000-)