Ramsay Richard Reinagle, 'The Aurelian Wall, Rome', about 1796

During the eighteenth century the public interest in art across Europe grew rapidly. However, most people were not able to afford works of art. There was, therefore, a demand for artworks that were easily available as well as entertaining. One of the most popular public forms for art was panoramas. These were 360-degree, immersive recreations of landscapes and historical events. The word panorama was coined by the Irish painter Robert Barker to describe his view of Edinburgh. Barker’s son, Thomas, partnered with the painter Ramsay Richard Reinagle. In London they exhibited panoramas of Rome, Naples, Florence and Paris. The horizontal nature of this sketch has led it to be attributed to Reinagle. It has been suggested that it may be a preparatory sketch for a Rome panorama.

Reinalge’s father, Philip Reinagle, was a successful painter of landscapes and animals. He trained under the portraitist Allan Ramsay, after whom his son was named. Ramsay Richard Reinagle was only 13 when he first exhibited his works at the Royal Academy in 1788. He did not become a full Academician until 1823. He was forced to resign in 1848 when it was revealed that he had shown a painting at the Academy as his own that was by another artist. He was adept at copying old master paintings. He also had a profitable business in restoring paintings for picture dealers. It has been suggested that he did not only restore paintings but may have been involved in changing them to meet the demands of the market.

Reinagle went to Italy and studied in Rome in 1796. He was drawn to sketching landscapes outdoors, attempting to capture the bright sunshine as well as rapid changes in light and colour. In this sketch he focused on the middle distance. The foreground is unfinished and has inscriptions indicating the location. This might suggest that the work was created following the precepts of French artist Pierre de Valenciennes, who was working in Rome at this time. He proposed in his Elémens de perspective pratique (1799) that artists sketching from nature should work as swiftly as possible and focus on the middle ground. However, the work is very high-finished and detailed, which may indicate that it was completed in the studio.

This sketch shows a view in Rome from the Pincian Hill looking towards the south-east. It features a section of the Aurelian Wall that enclosed the city of Rome. Built during the reign of Emperor Aurelian, the wall was intended to protect the city from the threat of foreign invasions. It was used as a defence against attacks up until the late nineteenth century. Glimpsed to the left are the umbrella pines of the Villa Ludovisi.