HERMANN DAVID SALOMON CORRODI
Italian, 1844-1905
"The Roman Campagna at Sunset with Ruins of an Ancient Aqueduct"
35 1/4" H x 3 1/8" D x 58 3/8" W (framed)
26 1/8" H x 49 1/2" W (canvas)
Oil on canvas, signed and inscribed "H. Corrodi Roma" lower left, presented in a later giltwood frame
A panoramic view of the Roman Campagna at sunset depicting the ruins of an ancient Roman aqueduct rising above the surrounding countryside. The monumental arches, likely belonging to the Claudian Aqueduct, are silhouetted against an illuminated sky with grazing sheep and a stream in the foreground. Corrodi repeatedly returned to the aqueducts of the Roman Campagna, producing variations of the subject for an international clientele. The Galleria Giannoni in Novara preserves a related monumental painting, Tramonto nella campagna romana (inv. GG 609).
Provenance:
- Sotheby's, New York, July 12, 1989, sales 1286, lot 549 (scan available on request)
- The Sheldon and Irma Gilgore Collection, Naples, Florida
Exhibited:
- Naples Museum of Art, Naples, Florida, Grand Tour in Miniature, December 22, 2003 to July 31, 2004.
Condition: Very good overall presentation. Original linen canvas lined with cotton canvas, retaining its original stretcher. The ground remains stable with minimal losses and light craquelure. Minor stretcher bar impressions are visible across the center. The paint surface is well preserved, with a few small losses and two localized areas of overpainting in the sky. Traces of embedded grime remain within the lower layers of varnish. Touchups to the gilding of the later frame. Ready to place.
Reference:
(1) Galleria Giannoni, Novara, Tramonto nella campagna romana, Hermann Corrodi, oil on canvas, 135 x 156 cm, inventory GG 609. The catalogue discusses the numerous variations of the Roman Campagna aqueduct composition produced in response to international demand.
Related examples at auction:
Sotheby's, New York, April 18, 2007, lot 253, Ruins at Sunset. Oil on canvas, 50 1/4 x 29 3/4 inches, achieved $ 27,000 USD
Sotheby's, New York, April 25, 2006, lot 279, Ruins in the Roman Campagna, 29 x 18 inches, achieved $ 19,200 USD
Hindman's, Chicago, May 12, 2013, lot 259, The Roman Aqueducts at Sunset, 50 x 29 1/2 inches, achieved $ 20,000 USD
Heritage Auctions, Dallas, December 6, 2007, lot 23085, Sunset by the Ruins, 44 1/2 x 30 inches, achieved $26,887.50 USD
Christie's, London, December 13, 2016, lot 35, A Roman Aqueduct on the Appia Antica at Sunset, 34 1/4 x 57 3/4 inches, achieved for £17,500
ref. 601KIP23F