Rudolf Wiegmann

William George Armstrong (1810-1900), 1st Baron Armstrong, circa 1850;

Thence by descent in his family until sold ("The Property of a Gentleman"), London, Sotheby's, 10 July 2003, lot 63;

Where acquired by the present collector.

In 1828, the painter, architect and archaeologist Rudolf Wiegmann traveled to Rome where he remained until 1832 and immersed himself in the architecture of antiquity. The artist painted this evocative view soon after his return to Germany, when memories of the Eternal City must have remained particularly fresh.

Initially trained as an architect, Weigmann depicts Rome's monuments with meticulous care. On the right stands Castel Sant'Angelo crowned by a bronze sculpture of the Archangel Saint Michael sheathing his sword. At center the distinctive dome of Saint Peter's Basilica, mirrored in the waters of the Tiber below, presides over the skyline. Wiegmann fills the cityscape with charming details: Bernini's sculptures line the Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge that spans the river, papal flags flutter above the horizon, and billows of smoke rise from Castel Sant'Angelo's ramparts suggesting the recent firing of a ceremonial cannon.

In 1836, just two years after executing the present work, Wiegmann moved to Düsseldorf where he later became Professor of Architecture at the Kunstakademie. Despite his exceptional talent as a painter, his subsequent career centered on architectural projects, for instance, the renovation and redesign of the Salvatorkirche in Duisburg.