Nerly in Bremen: the restoration that revealed the Aqua Claudia

The exhibition “Nature and Antiquity: the Romantic Friedrich Nerly in Rome” at Kunsthalle Bremen explores the Roman landscape through drawings, watercolours, sketches and oil paintings by the 19th‑century artist. A focal point is an 1836 canvas showing the Roman countryside with the Aqua Claudia, recently restored and found to contain new technical and iconographic evidence.

The conservation work involved rebuilding the canvas weave, consolidating edges, cleaning the paint layer, carrying out inpainting and applying a final varnish. X‑ray and infrared imaging revealed pentimenti and preparatory stages: for instance, some foreground figures were originally larger and later reduced to emphasize the landscape.

The exhibition juxtaposes preparatory studies with finished works and complements the narrative with contemporary photographs of the Aqua Claudia, which show the current decay affecting many of the places Nerly depicted. This dialogue highlights Nerly’s approach: favouring unusual views, depicting sparse, melancholic terrains, and portraying ruins with documentary detail rather than idyllic ornamentation.

• Highlights: the restored painting (Landscape of the Roman Countryside with the Aqua Claudia, 1836), sketches and watercolours from the collection, conservation diagnostics and modern photographs of the Aqua Claudia.
• Curatorship: curated by deputy director Dorothee Hansen.
• Dates: exhibition open until 5 July 2026.

Visitor notes: check Kunsthalle Bremen’s opening hours and ticketing in advance, and look for guided tours or in‑gallery materials to better understand the relationship between preparatory studies and the restored works. The show is recommended for those interested in conservation, 19th‑century landscape painting and the Grand Tour tradition.