Ettore Roesler Franz and Bygone Rome

This section is dedicated to one of Rome's most prolific artists, who during the second half of the 1800s painted a great number of roman views.
Probably Roesler Franz had foreseen the many alterations that Rome's central districts would have undergone shortly later, over the turn of the century; deep changes, due to which the look of many corners of the old city were forever lost. After one and a half century, thanks to the artist's paintings, those charming views come back to life, almost as in a time machine.

	But the real purpose of the following gallery is to show how (and how much) the city has changed, by comparing side by side one of the artist's paintings and a photograph recently taken from the same spot and at the same time of the day. In some cases, the differences are so great that the original subject is barely recognizable and can only be told from some minor details in the background. For each view, the main features and changes are briefly outlined by a short text. From time to time more views will be added to the gallery. In taking the pictures, every effort has been made to identify the very spot where the artist sat in front of his easel. Only in a few cases this has not been possible, either because the ground level has considerably changed, or because a building or some other new feature now obstructs the original view, or because the place is no longer freely accessible, or because the artist deliberately altered the perspective from his standpoint. For instance, from the spot where Roesler Franz painted the view of the Temple of Vesta and the main outlet of the Cloaca Maxima shown on the right, today only the span and the pillars of a modern bridge built there in 1890 would be visible.

"the Temple of Vesta and the
main outlet of the Cloaca Maxima",
by E.Roesler Franz

But the real purpose of the following gallery is to show how (and how much) the city has changed, by comparing side by side one of the artist's paintings and a photograph recently taken from the same spot and at the same time of the day. In some cases, the differences are so great that the original subject is barely recognizable and can only be told from some minor details in the background.

For each view, the main features and changes are briefly outlined by a short text. From time to time more views will be added to the gallery.

In taking the pictures, every effort has been made to identify the very spot where the artist sat in front of his easel. Only in a few cases this has not been possible, either because the ground level has considerably changed, or because a building or some other new feature now obstructs the original view, or because the place is no longer freely accessible, or because the artist deliberately altered the perspective from his standpoint. For instance, from the spot where Roesler Franz painted the view of the Temple of Vesta and the main outlet of the Cloaca Maxima shown on the right, today only the span and the pillars of a modern bridge built there in 1890 would be visible.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ettore Roesler Franz was born in Rome in 1845, where his family, that came from Switzerland, had settled in the early 1800s. Painting became his main interest rather soon, although before becoming a professional he worked in a bank, and also as a secretary of the British consul in Rome, who became a good friend of the artist. Particularly keen on the water-colour technique, in 1875 he founded the Society of Roman Water-colour Painters.

Ettore Roesler Franz was born in Rome in 1845, where his family, that came from Switzerland, had settled in the early 1800s. Painting became his main interest rather soon, although before becoming a professional he worked in a bank, and also as a secretary of the British consul in Rome, who became a good friend of the artist. Particularly keen on the water-colour technique, in 1875 he founded the Society of Roman Water-colour Painters.

	His favourite subjects were views of Rome, which he reproduced very realistically and in full detail. He was also interested in the newborn photographic technique, which he successfully practised; he often took pictures of his subjects, and used them as models for his paintings. Roesler Franz was favourably considered by critics, and held several exhibitions, some of which in London, but he never really became a famous artist. Most of his works are grouped in series, or collections. The most famous one is Roma Perduta (the lost Rome), painted between 1881 and 1894, consisting of 120 water-colour subjects, most of which are now held by Rome's Museum, in Trastevere.

His paintings were fully catalogued only after his death, in 1907; a few years later, his name entered the hall of fame of Rome's major artists.

GALLERY
click on the small paintings to access the relevant page

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