Details

Title

A Street Scene in Rome

Artist/Maker

Thomas Wyck (Dutch, 1616–1677)

Date

ca. 1650

Medium

Oil on panel

Dimensions

24 x 19 inches

Credit

Gift of the family and friends of Frances Bunzl Approved by the Collections Committee December 18, 2000; donor’s 20% life interest transferred to the High Museum 2020

Accession #

2000.211

On View

Currently not on view

While there is no documentary evidence of a journey to Italy, Wyck is thought to have traveled there before 1642. This work suggests that he saw both Rome and Naples. In this Roman market scene, Wyck presents a picturesque view of seventeenth-century life. The decaying brick and stucco hodge-podge of buildings and walls and the rustic types engaged in various activities in the foreground draw the viewer’s eye throughout the composition. The framing device of the archway is a hallmark of Wyck’s market scenes.