Joseph Theodor Hansen 1848-1912

With F. Zachariae, Fredensborg; A
Acquired from the above by Mr. Mortensen circa 1960;
Mr. Mortensen;
Thence by descent to his son, Mikkel Bo Mortensen, Denmark;
By whom sold, London, Sotheby's, November 23, 2000, lot 100 (as a pair with the following / preceding lot).

Dated 1906, this painting and the following lot (62) take as their subject views from two different junctures on the Via Sacra.  Such topographical compositions would have been very desirable to collectors in the early 20th century, when the expanding Italian tourism industry brought with it a revived interest in the history and buildings of the ancient Roman Forum.   In fact, the same year that these two canvases were painted, the German archeologist Christian Hülsen published The Roman Forum (which remained a scientific reference for much of the 20th century) and the archeologist Rudolfo Lanciani, in charge of all of the excavations within the city of Rome, discovered the House of the Vestals. 
By situating the Via Sacra in the foreground of the compositions, Hansen emphasizes the ancient importance of the road: in the heyday of the Empire it was the route taken by every procession from the Arch of Titus to temple of Capitoline Jupiter, the most hallowed sanctuary in the city.  Also, by making the focal point of the picture the Via Sacra, Hansen creates the illusion that the viewer is about to embark on a stroll among the ruins, discovering the temples and monuments of the successive periods, from the second century B.C. to the fourth century A.D.