Ruined Tomb in a Landscape

Artist Marco Ricci (Italian, 1676 – 1730)

Date17th or 18th century

MediumPen and brown and black ink with brush and brown and grey wash with white gouache

DimensionsIMAGE: 15 3/16 x 21 3/16 in. (38.6 x 53.8 cm)
FRAMED: 25 5/8 x 31 5/8 in. (65.1 x 80.3 cm)

ClassificationsDrawings

Credit LineMuseum purchase, 1962

Object numberSN761

Known primarily for paintings, prints, and stage designs, Marco Ricci was also a highly skilled draftsman. Called the "heir and rejuvenator" of Venetian landscape draftsmanship, he created numerous, brightly colored landscapes in gouache in the early 1720s. Ranging from simple, realistic scenes to whimsical, imagined vistas known as capricci, these picturesque compositions are among his most highly original works. Having spent considerable time traveling throughout Europe where such Italian architectural fantasies were in large demand, it is likely Ricci drew the Ringling capricci foreign patrons. Subtle tonal variations give form and density to the buildings, all but erasing the need for outlining. The vibrant color of the gouache gives the surfaces a smooth, almost glossy texture. Even the smallest details are delineated by color rather than line, as in the fluted columns and classical frieze in Roman Architectural Ruins with Large Archway.

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