{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O131848"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O131848/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BP5828/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BP5828/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BP5828","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Carole Robb","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP7915","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O131848","accessionNumber":"E.3721-2004","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"Water and ruins, Tivoli","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Carole Robb is one of a number of talented British artists who studied at the British School in Rome during the 1970s. Like Stephen Farthing (b.1950) and Christopher Le Brun (b.1951), she rejected abstraction in favour of a figurative style informed by old master painting. This drawing is part of a group of fourteen works (E.3719 to 3732-2004) that illustrate Robb's journey through Rome to Tivoli, and the Veneto, that she undertook in 2003/4. As such, it constitutes a contemporary uprise to the V&A's numerous Grand Tour watercolours of Italy, dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries.\r\n\r\nThis highly impressionistic watercolour was probably painted in the water gardens at Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli outside Rome.  Once the site of libraries, theatres and baths, the ruined palace complex is evident largely in the structures surrounding the garden’s multiple water features.  The work alludes to no specific part of the Villa but draws upon ruins, a prevalent theme in 18th century European art, as a rich source of artistic inspiration.  Here Robb captures the changing colours of decay. She manipulates the watercolour medium to create the impression of erosion as runny paint seeps down over the horizontal washes of orange and mossy green hues.  The rich tones and flatness of the image produce an ambience of serenity and timelessness in nature.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour, with a brown area suggesting ruins, and water to the right and upper side","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Robb, Carole","id":"A18747"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour (paint)","id":"AAT15045"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour painting","id":"THES250889"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Archaeology","id":"THES48874"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"},{"text":"Watercolours","id":"THES277714"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2007BP5828","2023NP7915"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH (VA)","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"WD","shelf":"49","box":"B"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour (painting)","id":"AAT78925"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Italy","id":"x28927"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2003","earliest":"2003-01-01","latest":"2003-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Jane Mankiewicz","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"23","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Robb 2003'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"signed in pencil"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Watercolour, Water and ruins, Tivoli, by Carole Robb, 2003.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Tivoli","id":"x40409"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Landscape","id":"x31100"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.3721-2004"],"accessionNumberNum":"3721","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2004,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2007-02-14","availableToBook":false}}