Charles Louis Clerisseau was a pivotal figure in European Neoclassicism, shaping the perception of ancient ruins through his architectural drawings and vedute in the 18th and early 19th centuries. His works are distinguished by exceptional precision and attention to detail, serving not only as artistic representations but also as scientific documentation of antiquity. Clerisseau was a sought-after consultant and draftsman for numerous European princes and architects, including Thomas Jefferson, whom he advised on the design of the Virginia State Capitol. His ability to capture the monumentality and dignity of ancient buildings in watercolors and drawings made him one of the most important mediators of classical architectural ideals of his era.
Clerisseau’s works are characterized by a clear, almost analytical composition, focusing on proportion, lighting, and the atmospheric effect of ruined landscapes. He masterfully staged the grandeur and melancholy of decaying structures in a way that reflects both the spirit of the Enlightenment and the longing for a lost Golden Age. Compared to modern art, which often emphasizes abstraction and subjective expression, Clerisseau’s works appear as windows into a bygone world where rationality and beauty form a harmonious unity. His depictions of ancient architecture remain a source of inspiration for architects, artists, and historians interested in the aesthetics and symbolism of Classicism.
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 of St Trinita del Monte Rome c1766 (chalk pen and wc) - (MeisterDrucke-204651).jpg "Design for Ruin Room of the monastery (now convent) of St. Trinita del Monte, Rome, c.1766 by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
 of St Trinita del Monte Rome c1766 (chalk pen and wc) - (MeisterDrucke-204651).jpg)
.jpg "Roman Ruins with Two Peasants Conversing in the Foreground by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-54864).jpg "Hadrian")
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.jpg "Peasants Near the Arch of Sergius at Poia by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Roman Monuments and the Pantheon by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Design for the paintings in the cell of Father Lesueur in the Monastery of Santissima Trinita dei Monti in Rome by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "The Triumphal Arch at St. Remy by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Figures near a Ruined Colonnade by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Figures near a Ruined Colonnade, 1761 by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Figures near a Ruined Colonnade by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Figures near a Ruined Colonnade by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "View of the Baths of Diocletian in Rome by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Temple of Vesta by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Fountain in a Courtyard by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Tivoli by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "The Corinthian Order by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Roman Ruins with a Sepulchre by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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.jpg "Roman Pulcinella in Carnival Costume by Charles Louis Clerisseau")
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