About this artwork

In 1799 Lusieri was employed by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, as his resident artist and agent in Athens, where he remained until his death. Lusieri was closely involved in supervising the removal and transport to Britain of the Elgin Marbles. He is best known for his meticulously detailed, large-scale landscape watercolours. The same exacting technique was applied to this, his only known work in oil. The monument, which survives in more or less this state on the Mouseion Hill in Athens, was erected in 114-116 AD in honour of Gaius Julius Philopappos, Roman Consul of Athens under the Emperor Trajan. A watercolour version of this composition is in the collection of the present Lord Elgin.

Updated before 2020

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Giovanni Battista Lusieri

Giovanni Battista Lusieri