Dimensions: support: 1003 x 1257 mm frame: 1275 x 1518 x 135 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Richard Wilson's "Tivoli; Temple of the Sibyl and the Campagna". The composition is interesting, with the temple in the distance and a pastoral scene in the foreground. It evokes a sense of tranquility, but almost like a stage set. What do you make of this contrast? Curator: It’s like Wilson is inviting us into a dream, a constructed memory. He's not just painting a place; he's painting a feeling, a longing for the classical past, but with a very 18th-century sensibility. The figures seem almost secondary to the land, dwarfed by its grandeur. It makes me wonder, what stories do you think they are telling? Editor: That's a good point. The landscape is definitely the main focus. The more I look the more I appreciate the balance of light and shadow. Thanks for your insights! Curator: My pleasure. I learned something new as well.
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tate about 2 months ago
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/wilson-tivoli-temple-of-the-sibyl-and-the-campagna-t01706
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tate about 2 months ago
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Tivoli is seen from across the gorge of the river Aniene (or 'Anio'), with the Roman 'Campagna' or plain and the city of Rome itself in the distance. To the left, on the cliff edge, is a small cluster of ancient buildings. These include the circular Roman Temple of Vesta, and the rectangular Temple of the Tiburtine Sibyl. By the first century BC, Tivoli (the classical town of Tibur), was a favourite resort of Rome's wealthier citizens, including the Emperor Augustus and the poet Horace. Wilson's patrons revelled in his ability to produce lyrical evocations of such classical sites. Gallery label, August 2004
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