Landscape with the Tomb of Cecilia Metella 1710 - 1730

Jan Frans van Bloemen painted this canvas, Landscape with the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, during the height of his career, sometime in the first half of the 18th century. Born in Antwerp, van Bloemen spent his career in Rome, and this painting is an idealised vision of the Roman Campagna. This landscape tradition was popular with wealthy tourists who purchased paintings like this as souvenirs of the Grand Tour. The tour was a rite of passage for young, upper-class Europeans to learn about classical culture and art. We see the remnants of the Roman Empire in the background architecture, but a careful observer can note that, even in apparent ruin, classical forms lend legitimacy to the social status of the painting's aristocratic owners. By investing in these works, they became part of a cultural tradition linked to the Empire. We can better understand this image and its impact by researching the Grand Tour's impact on the art market and the cultural values it promoted. Art is not created in a vacuum, and its meaning is always tied to social and institutional contexts.