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Ruins of an Ancient City
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineRuins of an Ancient City, c. 1810–20. John Martin (British, 1789–1854). Oil on paper, mounted on canvas; framed: 118.5 x 142 x 8 cm (46 5/8 x 55 7/8 x 3 1/8 in.); unframed: 95.6 x 118.6 cm (37 5/8 x 46 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund, 1981.13
