id: 148860 accession number: 1976.97 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1976.97 updated: 2023-03-11 20:51:07.045000 Pair of Paintings: The Colonnade of St. Peter's, Rome, during the Conclave and The Grotto of Posillipo, c.1769. Hubert Robert (French, 1733–1808). Oil on canvas; framed: 56 x 47.5 x 6 cm (22 1/16 x 18 11/16 x 2 3/8 in.); unframed: 42.6 x 33.4 cm (16 3/4 x 13 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund 1976.97 title: Pair of Paintings: The Colonnade of St. Peter's, Rome, during the Conclave and The Grotto of Posillipo title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: c.1769 creation date earliest: 1764 creation date latest: 1774 current location: 202 French Neoclassical Decorative Arts creditline: Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund copyright: --- culture: France, 18th century technique: oil on canvas department: European Painting and Sculpture collection: P - French 18th Century type: Painting find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * Hubert Robert (French, 1733–1808) - artist --- measurements: Framed: 56 x 47.5 x 6 cm (22 1/16 x 18 11/16 x 2 3/8 in.); Unframed: 42.6 x 33.4 cm (16 3/4 x 13 1/8 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: inscription: back of the original canvas : Mr de/Laferté translation: remark: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Year in Review, 1976 opening date: 1977-02-01T05:00:00 Year in Review, 1976. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 1-March 6, 1977). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE Denis-Pierre Papillon de la Ferte date: footnotes: citations: Marius Paulme (sold, Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, November 22, 1923, lots 76 and 77, to Henri Boudonneau) date: footnotes: citations: 1923 - 1949 Henri Boudonneau (Paris, France), by inheritance to his son, Rene Boudonneau, 1949 date: footnotes: citations: 1949 - 1961 Rene Boudonneau, by inheritance to his wife, Mme S. A. Boudonneau, 1961 date: footnotes: citations: 1961 - 1974 Mme S. A. Boudonneau (Geneva, Switzerland) (sold, Christie's, London, December 13, 1974, lot 146, to Gallerie Cailleux date: footnotes: citations: 1974 - 1976 Gallery Cailleux (Paris, France) sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1976. date: footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: Hubert Robert studied and worked in Italy in 1754–65. Upon returning to Paris, he entered the Royal Academy as an architectural painter and full member in 1766. His time in Italy would prove to be influential and classical architectural subjects would dominate his subsequent work. Interior of the Colonnade of St. Peter's is based on a drawing dated from 1758, the same year that Pope Clement XIII Rezzonico was elected. Given his interest in classical subjects, Robert has antiquated his subject by aging the condition of the columns and including a soldier dressed in ancient Roman armor. Similarly, Robert imaginatively portrays the Grotto of Posillipo. Measuring over 2000 feet in length, this tunnel was carved from volcanic rock by ancient Romans to connect Naples with Pozzuoli. While this passageway was improved by repaving and reinforcing the arches during the reign of Charles III of Naples (1734–59), this structure was never the grand tunnel Robert depicts—with coffered vaults and engaged columns. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. page number: Reproduced: p. 187 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1978/page/n207 The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Catalogue of Paintings, Part 3: European Paintings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1982. page number: Mentioned: p. 127-131; Reproduced: p. 129-130 url: --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1976.97/1976.97_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1976.97/1976.97_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1976.97/1976.97_full.tif