Artwork
Third View of the Colosseum
Third View of the Colosseum is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hieronymus Cock. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1550, *Third View of the Colosseum* is an etching on laid paper attributed to the Flemish artist and publisher Hieronymus Cock.
Created circa 1550, *Third View of the Colosseum* is an etching on laid paper attributed to the Flemish artist and publisher Hieronymus Cock. The print belongs to the city‑scape tradition, offering a detailed representation of the ancient Roman arena as seen from a particular angle. It measures roughly the size of a standard sheet of paper and is rendered in monochrome, emphasizing line and texture over colour.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on the partially ruined Colosseum, its broken arches and crumbling columns dominating the scene. Sparse vegetation—small trees and bushes—clusters around the structure, while diminutive figures traverse the foreground, suggesting the passage of time and the coexistence of antiquity with contemporary life. The work invites contemplation of decay and the endurance of monumental architecture.
Technique & Style
Cock employed the etching process, incising the image onto a copper plate with a needle before immersing it in acid to bite the lines. Ink was then forced into these incised grooves and transferred to laid paper, producing crisp, dark outlines against a light background. The linear precision and atmospheric shading reflect the Northern Renaissance’s interest in topographical accuracy combined with an expressive handling of texture.
History & Provenance
Hieronymus Cock, who operated a leading 16th‑century Antwerp publishing house, produced over a thousand prints, many of which disseminated architectural views across Europe. This particular plate is part of a series of at least three perspectives of the Colosseum, indicating a systematic approach to documenting the monument. Surviving copies are held in several major collections, attesting to the work’s wide distribution during the early modern print market.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hieronymus Cock, or Hieronymus Wellens de Cock, (1518 – 3 October 1570) was a Flemish painter and etcher as well as a publisher and distributor of prints.
