 Harbor with Roman Ruins, c. 1740–50
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mrs. Thomas Balding, 1990 (6015.1)
The subjects of Leonardo Coccorante’s landscape
paintings range from dramatic, imaginary scenes to
topographically correct views of his homeland, Naples,
Italy. Invented scenes, like Harbor with Roman Ruins,
encouraged artists to stretch their imagination and
offered them an opportunity to demonstrate the strength
of their creative ability. In this work, whose large scale
suggests that it served as a stage set design,
Coccorante highlights the magnificence of antiquity with
ruins that tower over diminutive figures in the
foreground. |