Ronald Olley (b.1923) - c. 2000 Watercolour, Arch of Titus, Rome

Description

A very fine and dynamic watercolour by the listed British artist Ronald Olley (b.1926), depicting The Arch of Titus on the Via Sacra, the main street in Ancient Rome, with two figures in the landscape. The Arch of Titus is an honorific triumphal arch, built in the 1st Century AD by the Emperor Domitian in order to commemorate his older brother's victories.

Olley has created a variety of textures using different brushwork, contrasting the classical architectural geometry and the natural elements in the composition. The figures add scale to the scene, and heighten the granduer of the triumphal arch itself.

Well-presented in a light wooden frame and a cream mount, as shown.

Signed. On wove.

Condition

In fine condition overall. The frame has some very minor scuffing.

Size

20.2 x 26.8cm (8" x 10.6")
Framed Size: 45.3 x 50.2cm (17.8" x 19.8")

Collection Information

Sulis Fine Art is proud to present this fine collection of works from the studio of the British artist Ronald Olley. Some of the works bear the stamp 'ORO', which stands for Owen Ronald Olley, the artist's birthname.

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Artist Biography

Ronald Olley was born in 1923, and studied at both the Harrow Art School and the Central School, London. His father served as a soldier throughout the First World War, and Olley joined the army in 1942. He witnessed the bombing of Bath, England, before being stationed at El Alamein in Egypt, and Italy.

As well as landscape and figure painting, Olley has had numerous commissions for portraits, mainly of women and children. As one of the last artists to paint World War II from personal experience, a significant part of his portfolio depicts battlegrounds and war-torn landscapes. These have been painted using significant research and photographs, alongside Olley's own knowledge of the front line.

His work has been shown at the Royal Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists, as well as in exhibitions at the Medici Gallery and at Duncan Campbell. His pictures have been bought by collectors in Europe, the USA, Australia, Africa and Japan.