Franz Ludwig CatelGerman, 1778–1856Inside the Colosseum
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Inside the Colosseum” now? Art Institute of Chicago, Gallery 221, Chicago. Yes, on view now. Checked October 12, 2026.
Chicago, United States
Closed· opens Thu at 11:00 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
A shaft of sunlight illuminates a group of figures dwarfed by the monumental architecture of the Colosseum, the ancient amphitheater in Rome. The building had fallen into disrepair for centuries until restorations began in 1822, the year before Franz Ludwig Catel made this painting.
In the foreground, a figure identifiable as architect Giuseppe Valadier bows slightly while presenting plans to the red-stockinged Cardinal Ercole Consalvi at left. In the background, two workers carry a sack filled with rubble from the Colosseum’s depths, visually representing the labor involved in the project.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 2013.1094
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
