The so-called Temple of Vesta in Rome

The so-called Temple of Vesta in Rome, dated 1878, was painted during Philipsen's first Italian journey — before his decisive encounter with French Impressionism that would reshape his technique in the early 1880s. The circular temple near the Tiber (actually dedicated to Hercules Victor, but long misidentified as a temple to Vesta) was one of Rome's most painted ancient structures: its perfectly preserved round form and picturesque setting beside the river had attracted artists from Claude Lorrain onward. Philipsen's 1878 engagement with this subject places him firmly within the Grand Tour tradition, absorbing Italy's ancient monuments as part of his formation. The painting pre-dates his Tunisian journey and his Paris encounters with Impressionism, and as such represents a more conventional academic moment in his development. The Statens Museum for Kunst holds it as an early work that frames what came before his mature Impressionist identity.

The 1878 technique shows academic training: smoother paint application, more conventional compositional structure, and tighter value management than the broken color of his mature work. The circular temple's white marble against the Roman sky creates strong tonal contrast. Surrounding vegetation and water provide the picturesque framing established by centuries of artist visits to this site.