Colosseum
Artist
Edward Laning
(American, 1906 - 1981)
Dateca. 1944-1950
MediumWatercolor, gouache, and chalk on paper
DimensionsUnframed: 20 x 15 inches (50.8 x 38.1 cm)
Credit LineBequest of Milton McGreevy
Object number81-30/37
Signedl.r.: Laning, Rome
On View
Not on viewCollections
Gallery LabelEdward Laning transplants the Colosseum, an ancient Roman stadium, to outer space. The ruin floats beneath a cratered moon and among stars and swirling galaxies. Laning likely painted this haunting scene while in Italy, where he worked during World War II as a correspondent for Life magazine. His job entailed recording the devastation wreaked on cities like Rome. In this context, Colosseum may comment on human frailty, suggesting that the iconic structure will remain when humans no longer populate the earth.
Copyright© Estate of Edward Laning
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