Zogenaamde Stallen van Maecenas te Tivoli 1788 - 1839

Hendrik Voogd made this brown ink drawing of the so-called Stables of Maecenas in Tivoli. Voogd was part of a community of Dutch artists in Rome who were fascinated by the picturesque landscapes and classical ruins of Italy. During the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a booming market for idealized landscapes, and Voogd found success by depicting ancient Roman architecture. But it’s important to remember that these images were not neutral records of existing places. Rather, they were constructed to evoke feelings of nostalgia, grandeur, and even melancholy. Here, he's playing with the theme of the sublime, contrasting the enduring quality of the architecture with the ravages of time. He highlights the decay of this civic architecture and the growth of nature as a metaphor for the decline of civilizations. As an art historian, I am interested in how institutions shape art, and it is interesting to consider the ways in which Voogd's work catered to the tastes of art collectors and museums. His landscapes reflect the cultural values of his time.