Dawn in an Ancient Land

From 1867 to 1872, Blunden had a studio in Rome, where she created popular watercolors of the surrounding environs. Here, she showcases the ruins of the Aqua Claudia, the ancient aqueduct that once enabled Rome to function as the capital of a vast empire. By the nineteenth century, the aqueduct was seen as a picturesque monument to that civilization’s downfall. Bathed in a hazy white light, Blunden’s composition emphasizes the massive scale of the aqueduct by including tiny figures in the landscape. The empty field between them and the aqueduct, punctuated by rocky crevasses, emphasizes the romantic notion of the contrast between ancient history and modern life.