Rostral Column

The original drawing was entirely hand-crafted using the classical ink wash technique. 
 
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This is a drawing of the Rostral Column, one of two erected in St. Petersburg in the early eighteen hundreds. The idea of a rostral column, decorated with the prows of defeated ships, comes from the Romans, while its proportions and overall character are rooted in Greek archaic architecture—particularly the temples of Paestum, which had a significant influence on architectural style after their revelation to the public in the seventeen fifties through detailed drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. The architect, Thomas de Thomon, a graduate of the French École des Beaux-Arts, brought to St. Petersburg echoes of the ideas of Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, which were popular during his student years. Though already about 20 years out of fashion, these ideas were brought to life on a scale that had previously only existed on paper