VICTOR JEAN NICOLLE (Paris, 1754 - 1826) The Basilica of Maxentius Signed V J Nicolle lower right Pen and brown ink, grey and brown watercolour, 20X31.5 cm Exhibition: The Gaze of Time. The Roman Forum in the Modern Age exhibition curated by A. Russo, R. Alteri, A. De Cristofaro, Temple of Romulus, Rome, 21 November 2023 ; 28 April 2024 Trained at the Academy of Drawing in Paris, Nicolle won the prize for perspective in 1771 and his early fame is documented by Louis XVI's decision to send him to Italy with the task of drawing the main views of the peninsula, staying in Venice, Bologna, Florence, Naples and Rome. Needless to say, the greatest number of these works are dedicated to the Eternal City, where Nicolle lived from 1787 to 1789 and later from 1806 to 1811. The precision of his views is certainly worthy of the best tradition, not only for their quality, but also for their descriptive and topographical accuracy, combined with a peculiar atmospheric sensitivity. We can verify these aspects thanks to the views presented here, which also show places seen in the actuality of their time and not just as antiquarian testimonies. Reference bibliography: Common Places. Vedutisti stranieri a Roma tra il XVIII e il XIX secolo, exhibition catalogue edited by S. Tozzi and A. M. D'Amelio, Rome 2014, ad vocem