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| Stefano della Bella Triumphal Arch in Ruin 17th century drawing Ashmolean Museum, Oxford |
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| Adriaen Boudewijns Landscape with Classical Ruins ca. 1700 oil on canvas Prado, Madrid |
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| Giuseppe Zochi Ruin at Paestum 18th century drawing Ashmolean Museum, Oxford |
The desire to contemplate ruins and thereby stare backwards into an unrecoverable classical past reached its greatest intensity in the 18th century. Simultaneously, faith in human progress also peaked, driving thoughtful people to stare into the future. How they managed to look in both directions at the same time is more than anyone can now explain. Members of modern-day consumer-culture live more simply, facing no such conflicts, indifferent to the past and agnostic about the future.
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| Hubert Robert Roman Ruin with Laundresses ca. 1777 oil on canvas Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts |
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| Hubert Robert Ruined Aqueduct 18th century oil on canvas Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Francesco Guardi Landscape with Ruins 18th century drawing Morgan Library, New York |
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| Canaletto Capriccio with Ruinous Bridge 18th century drawing Morgan Library, New York |
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| Louis François Cassas Landscape with Ruined Arch 1778 drawing Morgan Library, New York |
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| Francesco Guardi Capriccio with Ruins 18th century drawing Morgan Library, New York |
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| Francesco Guardi Landscape with Ruined Arch 18th century drawing Morgan Library, New York |
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| Carlo Ferrario Set Design with Roman Ruins 19th century drawing Morgan Library, New York |
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| Luis Rigalt Night Landscape with Ruined Monastery 1850 watercolor Prado, Madrid |
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| Carlos de Haes Roman Landscape with Ruins of the Claudian Aquaduct 1871 oil on canvas Prado, Madrid |
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| Genaro Pérez Landscape with Classical Ruins 19th century oil on canvas Prado, Madrid |