Antonio Joli Modena circa 1700 - 1777 Naples

Scudamore Griffiths (1868-1968), Bedfont House, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, by whom bought shortly after the First World War;
Thence by descent.

This extraordinary view by Antonio Joli stands apart from his other views of Rome both for its scale and for its unusual subject: only one other view of the Colosseum, of much smaller dimensions, is known by the artist (sold New York, Christie's, 24 January 2003, lot 57, erroneously described as by Hendrik Frans van Lint).  An autograph replica of the right section of this composition was in the collection of the Earl of Harewood (sold London, Christie's, 2 July 1965, lot 92) and another, of inferior quality and therefore probably with some studio participation, was offered in these Rooms, 22 April 2004, lot 125 (withdrawn).

Though born in Modena, Joli was to travel throughout Italy where he enjoyed a successful career as a painter of vedute and capricci, aimed particularly at the English Grand Tourists. As a young man he travelled to Rome where he studied the paintings of Gian Paolo Panini, under whom he almost certainly trained and whose works clearly influenced his own (this and the following lot were indeed once attributed to Panini, as is seen by the plaque on their frames). In 1718 Joli is documented in Rome decorating the Villa Patrizi whilst the following year he is recorded as a member of the Accademia di San Luca. This scenographic view of the Colosseum would have appealed to an English clientele and Joli almost certainly painted it during his English sojourn, between 1744 and 1748. He would probably have composed the view from earlier drawings, perhaps executed in situ, and the topographical accuracy of the monuments' disposition further supports this hypothesis.

The Flavian amphitheatre, more commonly known since medieval times as the Colosseum (due to its colossal dimensions), has come to be seen as the symbol of eternity for Rome. It is the largest surviving monument from Roman times and was begun by Vespasian in 72 A.D., only to be completed by Titus eight years later. The inauguration ceremony, during which hundreds of gladiators and thousands of animals died, apparently lasted 100 days. Over the centuries the structure fell into disrepair, after being struck by lightning and hit by earthquakes numerous times over the centuries. From the 15th Century onwards the Colosseum was regularly pillaged and its travertine used to construct other buildings in Rome; Palazzo Venezia, the Cancelleria, the Basilica of Saint Peter's, and the Porto di Ripetta (in the case of the last, three whole arches were used after an earthquake in 1703 caused them to fall). It was not until Pope Benedict XIV (1740-58) declared the monument sacred, that the pillaging ceased and the Colosseum retained its appearance; indeed its form in Joli's painting is very close to that which we can still see today, over 150 years later. The Arch of Constantine was dedicated to the Romans by the Senate in 315 to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius in the famous battle of the Milvian bridge. Unlike the Colosseum, it did not suffer at the hands of over-zealous architects in the previous centuries and was restored in the 1700s, making it one of the best-preserved monuments of ancient Rome.

The attribution to Joli has been endorsed by Mr. Ralph Toledano, to whom we are grateful, on the basis of photographs.