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This and the following sheet are, as a pair, a further example of Nicolle’s virtuosic play with the romanticising fascination that the majestic remains of Roman architecture exerted on him and his contemporaries. Embedded into the soft evening light, he has placed the beholder at eye-level with the resting soldiers and awe-struck entourage, between still-unrestored rows of columns with powerful mouldings.
In contrast to his many narratively accurate views, Nicolle created a capriccio of ancient Roman architecture on these sheets with ruins and temples rebuilt in visionary fashion. Through its use of perspective, play of light and shadows, and wide range of details, the capriccio suggests realistic views. Nevertheless, the informed beholder may distinguish familiar sights all over the drawing, such as the striking remains of the Tempio dei Dioscuri, or Temple of Castor and Pollux, on the Forum Romanum.