The Temple of Athena in Paestum
Resting hikers amid architectural fragments in a Mediterranean landscape, with ...

The Temple of Athena in Paestum
Resting hikers amid architectural fragments in a Mediterranean landscape, with the ruins of the Temple of Athena in Paestum in the background, the ancient sites such as Paestum, Herculaneum and Pompeii were rediscovered in the mid-18th century. For art-loving educational travellers, a visit to the ruins of Paestum became a must on their Grand Tour, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), accompanied by Christoph Heinrich Kniep (1755-1825), visited the ancient site for the first time on 23 March 1787. The land became increasingly flat and desolate, few buildings indicated meagre agriculture. At last, uncertain whether we were passing through rocks or ruins, we could distinguish some large oblong-square masses, which we had already noticed in the distance, as the remaining temples and monuments of a once so splendid city [...] In the meantime, I had a countryman show me around the buildings, and the first impression could only arouse astonishment. I found myself in a completely foreign world. ... and in less than an hour I felt befriended, indeed I praised the genius for letting me see these so well preserved remains with my eyes, since no conception of them can be given by illustration. ...", atmospheric, romantic old master drawing, wash ink in sepia over pencil preliminary drawing on cardboard, c. 1800, unsigned, attached note on reverse "French painter, c. 1800", somewhat faded, slight signs of age, framed in passepartout behind glass in Berlin moulding, sheet measures c. 27.5 x 39 cm.