The Colosseum, one of the biggest venues for entertainment in its time, was a place where people could go for anything; gladiator fights, plays, religious ceremonies, animals fights, the list goes on. Originally, when it was in use it was called the Flavian Amphitheater This gallery consists of several paintings of this massive amphitheater.
An Interior View of the Colosseum, Rome, John Warwick Smith, 1749–1831, British, undated, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
Although not dated, this is a painting of the inside of the Colosseum, it shows multiple people kneeling as if they were praying. John Warwick Smith was the man responsible for this painting. In terms of proportion, you can see how big the Colosseum is compared to the people inside.
A Roman View of the Ruins of the Temple of Venus and Rome with the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, Herman van Swanevelt, 1634, From the collection of: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
Herman van Swanevelt painted this painting in 1634. It shows the ruins of the temple of the roman goddess Venus. In the background you can see the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine. Building all of these structures was a major feat accomplished by roman builders considering the time period in which they were built.
Capriccio - interior of the Colosseum, Rome, attributed to Pietro F. GAROLI, c.1690, From the collection of: Art Gallery of South Australia
This painting is attributed to Pietro F. Garoli and it was made in 1690. This is another painting of the inside of the Colosseum. Besides the groups of people, the painting shows the architecture in great detail. The straight lines in both the bricks and top outline of the amphitheater suggest that the structure was strong.
The Colosseum Seen from the Southeast, Gaspar van Wittel (called Vanvitelli), c. 1700, From the collection of: Harvard Art Museums
This is a painting of the Colosseum from the outside. You can see the people going about their daily tasks such as herding livestock, driving a carriage, and taking care of children. If you zoom in on parts of the picture you can find people doing some interesting things. Gaspar van Wittel also known as Vanvitelli in 1700 painted it.
(Main View), From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
This painting mainly focuses on the Arch of Constantine and people socializing around it. In the background you can see the Colosseum in the background. These are two iconic structures in in Roman culture. They are often depicted together in paintings of the area around them. It was painted by Giovanni Antonio Canal also known as Canaletto in 1742-1745.
Washerwomen in the Ruins of the Colosseum, Hubert Robert, ca. 1760s, From the collection of: Brooklyn Museum
This picture depicts women socializing in the ruins of the Colosseum. One part of the painting that is highlighted is the broken down wall, again you can see the size of the wall compared to the people, and this once again shows how massive the Colosseum was. It was painted by Hubert Robert in the 1760s.
The Colosseum, John Inigo Richards RA, 1730/31?–1810, British, 1776, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
This is a painting of the exterior of the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine. The time of day suggests that the sun was either setting or rising. This provides a little insight on what the people in the picture are doing. The artist goal was to capture the overall atmosphere of the area around the Colosseum. John Inigo Richards painted it in 1776.
The Colosseum, Rome, John Warwick Smith, 1749–1831, British, 1802, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
This is a painting of the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, and the ruins of the temple of Venus. This painting features the architecture and the nature around the structures. The artist wanted to highlight the beauty of the area by putting extra detail into the trees and terrain. John Warwick Smith painted it in 1802.
A View through Three Arches of the Third Storey of the Colosseum, C.W. Eckersberg, 1815, From the collection of: SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst
This painting is a depiction of what it would look like being inside the Colosseum looking out onto the city. You can see the grass and small shrubs in the foreground and the city in the back. The arches are a main focus of this piece. The different colors the artist used make the pillars stand out. C.W. Eckersberg painted this in 1815.
View of the interior of the Colosseum, Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, 1815/1816, From the collection of: The Hirschsprung Collection
This painting shows a religious ceremony going on inside of the Colosseum. The main focus of the painting is all the people and the cross in the center, in addition the plant life and walls of the Colosseum are featured. The person that is responsible for this painting was the Danish artist Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg it was created in 1815-1816.
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This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
