inscribed ‘Viviano Roma’ and with price code ‘30x’ (?) (verso)
pen and brown ink, grey wash, pen and brown ink framing lines, watermark Arms of Amsterdam
28.5 x 19.1 cm

While Johann Franz Ermels was born in Germany and worked the majority of his career in Nuremberg, he was greatly influenced by his Dutch contemporaries, most notably Jan Both (1615/1622-1652). It was probably during his Dutch sojourn (of which the dates are unknown), and during which the artist visited Utrecht, that he saw the works of his Dutch contemporaries.
Both in terms of style, execution as well as subject matter, this drawing typical for the artist. With his characteristic prickly penwork, the artist swiftly executed this view of the Colosseum. The sheet can be closely compared, for example, to a drawing that was previously in the I.Q. van Regteren Altena Collection. That drawing is a study for an etching in reverse by the artist.