This original artwork is my personal interpretation of the ruins of the Roman Forum, inspired by my visit to Rome. Rather than depicting a single view exactly as it appeared, I have brought together elements from my memories of the site to create a scene that reflects my experience of walking among these extraordinary remnants of ancient Rome.
The columns of the Temples of Vespasian and Saturn, with the Arch of Septimius Severus behind, form the recognisable centre of the composition. Around them I have rearranged and combined other familiar features, including parts of the Palatine Hill, the columns of the Temple of Castor and Pollux and, in the distance, the Colosseum.
Although these magnificent structures are the obvious attractions of the Roman Forum, what stayed with me most strongly were the smaller, less celebrated details: the broken pieces of stone scattered across the ground and the great paving stones worn smooth by thousands of years of footsteps. These seemingly insignificant fragments felt like particularly powerful connections to the people who lived, worked and walked here so long ago.
The artwork is therefore not intended to be an exact architectural record of the Forum. Instead, it is a reflection on memory, time and the impermanence of civilisation. The remains of Rome stand as evidence of a world that once seemed enduring, while modern Rome rises around them. It made me wonder whether our own concrete and steel cities, which appear so permanent today, might one day be little more than scattered ruins themselves — reminders of a civilisation that has long since passed.
 
Subject: The Ruins of Rome, Rome, Italy
Medium: Pen and monochrome colour pencil
Paper: Acid-free cartridge paper
Image size: 59 × 41 cm
Framed: No
Original: Yes
Certificate of Authentication: Yes
Artist: Graham McKenzie-Smith