Ruins of the Temple of Hera at Selinunte,

1877

A German who worked in both Rome and Venice, Nehrlich catered to northern travelers. His romantic views of Venice at sunset or by moonlight must have been best sellers, judging by the number that pass through salesrooms today. This view of the one of the largest Greek temples in Sicily, painted near the end of his life, is unusual in its theme and anecdotal detail. Although there are no human subjects, a drama takes place beneath the lowering sky, amid the scattered remains of columns apparently cast down by an earthquake. A mangy dog approaches a griffin vulture’s nest atop a broken column. The mother bird has deserted the nest in an attempt to drive the predator away from her egg, as the father bird swoops in to aid its mate.