Onder de bogen van het Colosseum 1762 - 1781

Jean Grandjean created this brown ink drawing, “Under the Arches of the Colosseum,” during his travels in Italy. Grandjean was a student of the French Rococo painter, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, an artist known for his sentimental genre scenes. Here, Grandjean presents the Colosseum as a space where past grandeur and present-day reality meet. The contrast between the architectural majesty of the arches and the everyday figures populating the foreground invites reflection on the passage of time and the shifting of power dynamics. Are we looking at a celebration of history, or a melancholic view on the inevitable decline of civilizations? The presence of common people and stray dogs within the Colosseum's ruins disrupts the heroic narratives traditionally associated with such monuments. This choice not only democratizes the space but also perhaps infuses it with a sense of vulnerability, suggesting the monument's openness to all, regardless of social standing. The emotional depth of the piece lies in its subtle commentary on legacy.