Westgevel van tempel van Juno Lucina 1778

Louis Ducros made this watercolour of the West Façade of the Temple of Juno Lucina in Italy sometime before 1810. Juno Lucina was the Roman goddess of childbirth, and the ruins of her temple are here romantically depicted. Ducros was part of a network of artists who produced images for sale to wealthy tourists on the Grand Tour. The Ruins of antiquity were a popular subject, often staged in such a way as to evoke a sense of awe and historical distance, and here we have a strong example of that. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. Ducros produced many such images, working with a formula that emphasised picturesque decay. His workshop operated something like a factory, with assistants helping to turn out watercolours for sale. This reveals something about the art market and the commercialisation of taste in the late 18th century. To understand this artwork better, we can research the Grand Tour, the history of tourism, and the art market in 18th-century Italy.