Thorvaldsen's Museum, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of Martinus Rørbye, 1981, no. M96.

Exhibited: Kunstforeningen, “Fortegnelse over M. Rørbyes arbejder”, 1905 no. 64.

Provenance: The artist's estate auction 1849 no. 21, here acquired by sculptor and medalist F.C. Krohn (1806–1883). Sold at his estate auction 1883, no. 33, here acquired by merchant Christian Hornemann. Sold at his estate auction 1884, no. 81, here acquired by chamberlain, Master of the Royal Hunt Peter Ferdinand Collet (1836–1909). Thence by descent until today.

On Rørbye's great journey abroad from 1834 to 1837, during which he visited Italy, Greece and Turkey, he arrived in Rome on October 22 1834.

In his travel diary on March 9 1835, he writes in connection with the beginning of this work (in Danish):

“Painted a little in the Coliseum in the morning, it was the most beautiful weather in the sun but very cold in the shade, just like a spring day at home and probably not suitable for me today, as I am not particularly better.” And again on March 11, 1835: “Painted a little study in the Coliseum in the morning.”

As can be seen from the above quotes, Rørbye is not completely well these days and suffers from homesickness. Despite this - or perhaps because of it - Rørbye has managed to paint an unusual and very interesting work, where he has gone very close to a small section of the Colosseum and almost like a relief depicted its condensed architectural and sculptural forms - protrusions and depressions, openings and impenetrability - in numerous gray, black and brown shades, and at the same time the coming of spring in the bright green colour of grass and foliage. There is warmth and coolness and light and shadow - exactly as indicated in the above quote.