The Arch of Titus in Rome

During his time in Rome Constantin Hansen painted oil studies in the open air to provide variety in between his more complex figure compositions. One of his freest and most original studies is this picture of the Titus Arch near the Forum Romanum. He depicted it from a rather unconventional angle. The arch is not seen from the front, but from the side, thereby dramatically shortening the fa�ade. The picture does not give a representative view of the building, meaning that it was not a travel or tourist picture intended for audiences back in Copenhagen. It is a study done exclusively for the artist’s own sake.