"A View through Three of the North-Western Arches of the Third Storey of the Coliseum in Rome" is Eckersberg’s most famous painting. The amphitheatre was one of Eckersberg’s favorite subjects in Rome. He made very careful observations at the site, depicting every detail with perfect precision. Indeed, the arch itself is a perfectly accurate representation of real life. The view, however, is a construct: it has been pieced together from three different views. To achieve the effect he wanted, he first had to take in the view from the middle arch and then he would have had to take two steps to the left and five to the right. The fact that the paintings are in fact manipulated views rather than strictly objective depictions of reality has not shaken Eckersberg’s reputation – quite the contrary. If anything, it has reaffirmed his superior skill as a creator of images, and his ability to... (http://www.smk.dk/en/visit-the-museum/exhibitions/ensmuklgn/artwork-a-view-through-three-arches/)