The Appian Way

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The Appian Way

Artist: John Linton Chapman (American, 1839 - 1905)

Date: 1875

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

29 1/2 x 70 1/2 in. (74.9 x 179.1 cm)

Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, purchased with the Grace Fortner Rider Endowment Fund

Object number: 79.26

Signed: Signed and dated lower right: J. Linton Chapman Roma 1875

Inscribed: Inscribed (on verso): Via Appia J. Linton Chapman Roma 1875

Provenance: Mrs. Georgia Kelchner, New York The Reverend Doctor Joseph P. bishop, Rye, New York

Label Text

Stretching for nearly 350 miles, the Appian Way was an ancient highway that connected Rome to the Italian port city of Brindisium. John Linton Chapman’s monumental vision of the historic, but decrepit road, as well as the ruins of buildings flanking it, participated in the enthusiasm of mid-nineteenth-century America for the Classical past. This scene operated like a grandiose souvenir for an American collector to take home as a memento of travel, culture, and erudition. In fact, Chapman produced multiple versions of this subject, which indicates its popularity.

Chapman grew up in Europe, particularly in Italy, where he lived for nearly thirty years. His father, also a painter, had moved the family there. The younger artist drew upon his deep familiarity with the lingering traces of the Antique in and around Rome, which paintings like this powerfully represent.

(William Keyse Rudolph, 2014)

On view

The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.

Artwork

The Appian Way

The Appian Way