Ruins

the remains of a structure or population center that has fallen into decay or has been destroyed. Ruins include archaeological sites and historical monuments. The interest in ruins as art objects resulted from a keen sense of the historical succession of various epochs. It was reflected in the pictorial arts of the Renaissance and classicism (A. Altdorfer, N. Poussin, Claude Lorraine, H. Robert). In landscape parks of the 18th and early 19th centuries artificial ancient or Gothic ruins were often erected. This practice derived from increased attention to the picturesque, which embodied the belief that there was an indissoluble relationship between man’s creations and nature.