The Colosseum, Rome

Early in Oswald Achenbach's career he made studies of landscapes in the area around Düsseldorf, where like his brother Andreas he studied at the Academy. In addition to his brother, Oswald's main mentor was the landscape painter Johann Wilhelm Schirmer (see lot 27). Achenbach had both national and international success and received honorary memberships to the Academies of Art of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and St. Petersburg. From 1843 onwards he undertook various trips throughout Europe, finding in Italy the source of inspiration that would dominate his oeuvre, of which the present work is a typical example.