Lion gate in Mycenae 1834

Carl Rottmann's 1834 watercolor, "Lion gate in Mycenae," depicts the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Mycenae, specifically the iconic Lion Gate. The artwork captures the grandeur of the massive stone gate, which served as an imposing entrance to the citadel, with its intricate relief of two lions flanking a central pillar. The scene extends beyond the gate, revealing the surrounding landscape of rolling hills and distant mountains, conveying the vastness of the Mycenaean kingdom. This Romantic-era artwork, now housed in the Städel Museum, illustrates the fascination with ancient civilizations that characterized 19th-century European art.