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During his time in Rome Constantin Hansen painted oil studies in the open air to provide variety in between his more complex figure compositions. Outdoors, he was free of any constraints concerning his contemporaries’ expectations as regards motif, method of painting, and composition.

An unconventional angle

One of his freest and most original studies is this picture of the Titus Arch near the Forum Romanum. He depicted it from a rather unconventional angle. The arch is not seen from the front, but from the side, thereby dramatically shortening the façade. The picture does not give a representative view of the building, meaning that it was not a travel or tourist picture intended for audiences back in Copenhagen. It is a study done exclusively for the artist’s own sake.

Influenced by Eckersberg

The picture shows clear signs of the influence of the Roman architectural studies done by C. W. Eckersberg (1783-1853), Constantin Hansen’s teacher. Here, however, Hansen went further than Eckersberg ever did. He completely disengaged the architectural form from the function and significance traditionally associated with a building.

A break with the norms

The colour scheme also marks a break with the norms of the day. The artist shows a remarkable sense of the delicate, changing hues of the sunlight and in the shadows. With this picture, Hansen points towards the treatment of colour employed by the Impressionists 30 years later.

Details

  • Title: The Arch of Titus in Rome
  • Creator: Constantin Hansen
  • Creator Lifespan: 1804 Roma - 1880 Frederiksberg
  • Creator Nationality: Danish
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Frederiksberg
  • Creator Birth Place: Roma
  • Date Created: 1839
  • Værktekst: Under sit ophold i Rom malede Constantin Hansen små oliestudier ude i det fri som afveksling fra de figurrige kompositioner. Her var han helt fri for at tænke på tidens forventninger til motiv, malemåde og komposition. En utraditionel synsvinkel En af hans mest frigjorte og originale studier er dette billede af Titusbuen nær Forum Romanum. Han har skildret den fra en temmelig utraditionel synsvinkel. Buen er ikke set frontalt, men fra siden, og facaden fremstår derved i stærk forkortning. Billedet giver ikke et repræsentativt indtryk af bygningsværket, og det var altså ikke tænkt som et turistbillede beregnet på publikum hjemme i København. Det er en studie udført udelukkende til kunstnerens egen brug. Påvirkning fra Eckersberg Billedet røber tydelig påvirkning fra læreren C. W. Eckersbergs (1783-1853) romerske arkitekturstudier. Men han er her gået væsentlig længere, end denne nogensinde gjorde. Han har helt løsrevet den arkitektoniske form fra den funktion og betydning, som traditionelt er knyttet til en bygning. Brud med datidens normer Farveholdningen i Constantin Hansens maleri bryder også med datidens gældende normer. Han viser her en enestående fornemmelse for de fine, skiftende nuancer i sollyset og i skyggerne. Med et billede som dette peger han fremad mod impressionismens farvesyn 30 år senere.
  • Teknik: Olie på papir, klæbet på lærred
  • Proveniens: Testamentarisk gave fra overretssagfører L. Zeuthen og hans søstre 1924
  • Provenance: Acquired 1924
  • Physical Dimensions: w29 x h24 cm (Without frame)
  • Featured Place: Roma
  • Dansk link: http://www.smk.dk/index.php?id=1185
  • Dansk Titel: Titusbuen i Rom
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Statens Museum for Kunst, http://www.smk.dk/en/copyright/creative-commons/
  • Medium: Oil on paper laid down on canvas

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