The Colosseum, Rome

I did the full Colosseum tour while Yvette thrifted in the neighborhoods nearby, then spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the Roman Forum. Something about standing in that architecture — the scale of it, how old it is — stayed with me for a long time after.
Our reference photo was taken in daylight, but I drew the print at night. I'd seen the Colosseum after dark a few times during the trip and always thought it deserved that treatment — completely alone, nothing competing with it. So that's the illustration: ancient stone against a dark teal sky, a crescent moon, and our travelers perched somewhere above it all. Drawn by hand in our Fort Worth studio.

The Colosseum, or Flavian Amphitheatre, was completed in 80 AD and is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built. It could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators and hosted gladiatorial contests, animal hunts, and public spectacles for centuries.

The illustration captures the Colosseum from a low angle, the massive curved facade filling the frame from left to right, with the teal night sky and crescent moon above. The warm cream tones of the ancient stone anchor the cool palette of the sky.

This print works in a home office, living room, dining room, or as part of a travel gallery wall. It pairs naturally with other city prints in the Hand-Illustrated Stopovers series — Chicago, Paris, Tokyo, Seattle, and New York are all available separately.

The deep teal and warm cream palette is calm and sophisticated. A simple black, gold, or natural wood frame works beautifully.

This Rome art print makes a meaningful gift for anyone who loves Italian history, has visited Rome, or dreams of going. It is a popular choice as a gift for Italy enthusiasts, a memento of a trip to the Eternal City, or a birthday present for the traveler in your life.

Ships same day in protective packaging. Free shipping on all orders.

Crane has been making paper in America for more than two hundred years, and Lettra is the sheet their reputation rests on. It is 100% cotton, with no wood pulp at all, and it has a soft, slightly toothy surface that most printing papers simply do not have. Pigment ink settles into the fibers rather than sitting on top, which is why the color reads with depth from across the room.

Printers reach for Lettra when a piece has to feel like something: letterpress invitations, engraved announcements, foil and embossing work. We use it because a hand-drawn illustration deserves a surface that feels handmade too.

Ours is 110 lb Cover in Fluorescent White, 297 GSM. Substantial enough to hold its own in a frame, and bright enough to let the color do its job.