Lot 1721 Dα

This Roman veduta by Oswald Achenbach, painted in 1892, presents an imposing view of the Quirinal Palace. The artist has moved so close to the palace that the obelisk is cut off at the upper edge of the painting, but the dioscuri sculptures appear all the more monumental. The rich staffage, which, as so often in Oswald Achenbach's work, includes all walks of life, is also impressive in its scpoe: peasants with heavily laden hay carts, soldiers, tourists, a distinguished couple in a carriage, monks, souvenir sellers and finally even an artist in the right foreground. These genre-like figures, each one telling its own story, evoke the idea of Italy as much as the famous Renaissance monument. At the same time, the hustle and bustle offers an opportunity to bring colour into the picture. Skilfully arranging these vivid accents across his compositions was one of the Düsseldorf painter's many talents - even in later years, as the present work reveals.