(Kratzau [Chrastava]/Bohemia 1816–1896 Prague)
Rome, a view of the Colosseum, signed, inscribed and indistinctly dated Wilh. Kandler pinx ..., oil on canvas, 90 x 144 cm, framed (frame damaged), (Rei)

From a garden terrace of the Franciscan monastery of the Church of San Bon aventura al Palatino, very picturesquely situated on the slope of the Palatine, a view opens up of the the Colosseum in the centre, which can be seen here from the southwest. The Franciscan friars go about their gardening, reading or showing enthusiastic visitors the magnificent view of the city. To the left of the Colosseum is the Meta Sudans, which until 1936 was located approximately at this point. It was an ancient fountain, fitted with a stone cone in its centre, the shape of which referred to the turning points of the Roman circus, hence the name ‘meta’ (centre). Water bubbled from the top of the cone in the fountain, which trickled down the sides, causing it to ‘sweat’ (sudans). Directly beside it is the Arch of Constantine, erected in 312 in honour of Emperor Constantine and his victory in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Clearly recognisable are the circular pictorial areas, called tondi, which date from the Hadrian period and were reused as spolia.The choice of focal point from the Franciscan friars’ monastery garden is unusual and contrasts the silence and privacy of the garden with the world-famous attractions. With his warm colour palette, Kandler skillfully evokes the southern mood of a summer afternoon in the Eternal City.