An architectural capriccio with elegant figures by the Arch of Constantine, a bay beyond

This capriccio dominated by the impressive structure of the Arch of Constantine can be counted among the many paintings of this site dating to the mid-seventeenth century, among them works by Viviano and Niccolò Codazzi. The artist at work here, likely a Fleming, takes a particularly fanciful approach to the subject, showing the Arch in a semi-ruined state, particularly in the attic (flat superstructure above the three archways) where the inscription, reliefs and marble statues should be. The structure is taken out of its Roman setting and transported to the edge of a bay. Inaccuracies in the architectural rendering indicate that this artist is unlikely to have seen this site in person, or at least did not study it from life, and may have worked from prints. The staffage, likely painted by another hand, is close in style to Adriaen van Stalbemt.