Ansicht von Rom

A View in Rome

Fellow artist Joachim von Sandrart related how he and Claude painted out of doors. He also recorded how Claude would spend the whole day outside, to study particularly the changing quality of light at sunrise and sunset.

The view on the left could well have been painted from nature, possibly from Claude's own house. The most prominent building is the church of Santa Trinità de' Monti, where Claude would later be buried. The sky fades to pink at the horizon, demonstrating Claude's skill in capturing the naturalistic effect of the setting sun.

By contrast, on the right, an imaginary scene is played out in front of an invented ancient temple and statue of Apollo. These classical elements are placed in deep shadow.