Title Page to Ruins of Rome c. 1796

This hand-colored aquatint by M. Dubourg, created circa 1796, is the title page to a larger work titled "Ruines de Rome." The image is a romanticized depiction of the Roman ruins, seen through a crumbling archway overgrown with vines. The viewer’s attention is drawn to the foreground where a broken column and other remnants lie scattered in the grass. The title of the book, "Ruines de Rome", is emblazoned across the center of the image, giving us a sense of the work’s subject matter. This 19th-century aquatint reflects the popular fascination with Roman ruins and the beauty of decay.