Camille Corot, "The Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome," c. 1835-40

The castle Sant'Angelo is one of Rome's most recognizable landmarks. The circular structure was originally built by the emperor Hadrian as a tomb for himself, but it was used as a papal fortress from the 14th century onwards. Corot probably painted this view of the castle towards the end of the 1830s. The angel which gives this building its current name can just be seen, a small dark touch of paint apparently hovering over the roof. This is not a view of Rome that many tourists would see. From a location on the opposite bank of the river, Corot leads our eyes past the figures and boats in the foreground, across the water, up to the bridge and the massive brown tower on the right-hand edge of the canvas. The painting was bought by Sterling Clark in 1914 for his brother Edward, who later left it to their youngest brother Stephen, also a great art collector, whose tastes tended more towards Cezanne and the avant-garde painters of the early 20th century, like Matisse and Picasso. Sterling and Stephen Clark became estranged in the early 1920s, and in 1946, with a dealer's help, Sterling bought the painting from Stephen without his brother's knowledge. Corot's painting has the immediacy and directness of a sketch. Warm sunlight bathes the scene, casting the buildings on the left into cool shadow, and tying all the elements of the composition, land, architecture, sky and water, together. Despite its small scale, the painting demonstrates Corot's ability to suggest massive architectural forms and shimmering reflections.