The Ruins of the Imperial Palaces in Rome

This vibrant sheet is preparatory for a fresco of the same subject that Rottmann executed for King Ludwig I of Bavaria (1786 - 1868) as part of a cycle of twenty-eight wall paintings of famous Italian views. These decorated an arcade at Munich's Hofgarten (Garden Court), where they were meant to evoke a journey through Italy. As often with Rottmann's watercolors, a significant part of the image remains unfinished, which reveals his pencil underdrawing technique.

Digital image and text courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.