The So-Called Sepulcher of the Curiatii Brothers at Albano - Carlo Labruzzi

A detailed topographical study of the ancient Roman tomb at Albano, rendered in pen, ink, and watercolour by the Italian artist Carlo Labruzzi.

Carlo Labruzzi was a prominent Roman painter and draughtsman, known for his meticulous documentation of the Italian countryside. This work depicts the ancient Roman tomb structure located in Albano Laziale, traditionally associated with the Curiatii brothers. Labruzzi captures the site with the precision expected of an artist working during the height of the Grand Tour era, when travellers sought visual records of classical antiquity.

The composition focuses on the weathered masonry of the sepulchre, which is overgrown with vegetation. Labruzzi employs a delicate pen and ink outline, filled with subtle watercolour washes to define the textures of the stone and the surrounding foliage. To the left, the distant Church of the Madonna della Stella provides a sense of scale and historical layering, contrasting the ancient ruin with the ecclesiastical architecture of the period. The artist balances the structural weight of the tomb with the lighter, more fluid treatment of the trees and the open ground.

This drawing is part of a larger project in which Labruzzi documented the Via Appia. His approach combines the rigour of an archaeological survey with the aesthetic sensibilities of eighteenth-century topographical art. The work avoids excessive romanticisation, opting instead for a clear, observational style that records the physical state of the monument as it appeared in the late eighteenth century. The muted palette reflects the natural tones of the Roman Campagna, using soft greens, ochres, and greys to ground the subject in its environment. By focusing on the interplay between the ancient stone and the encroaching nature, Labruzzi provides a quiet, analytical view of a site that has long occupied the interest of historians and travellers alike.