A pen and wash design for an engraving of the Obelisk near the Porto del Popolo in Rome, with figures in Carnival attire populating the scene. Inscribed in a cartouche below "The Opening of the CARNIVAL/ The Porto del Popolo in Rome" and, in pencil in a hand identified as the dealer Colnaghi's, "Original Drawings by Allan fm Mr P Sandby Collection". Signed lower left "D. Allan inv et del 1775."

This is one of a group of ten drawings in the Royal Collection by David Allan showing scenes from the Carnival in Rome (see RCINs 913351-913360). In all of the drawings, the architecture is reversed, implying that Allan executed the drawings as designs for engravings. In 1780 Allan informed Sir William Hamilton that drawings of the Carnival which he had made in 1775 were purchased by Paul Sandby, who 'executed them charmingly in aquatinta prints' (Quoted in T. Crouther Gordon, David Allan: The Scottish Hogarth (1951) p. 32). Only four aquatints by Sandby are known, however, which were published with an accompanying introduction in 1780-1 (see British Museum, inv. no. 1904,0819.759); this drawing is the subject of one of the four prints. It is unclear as to whether Allan made these designs expressly to be engraved by Sandby.

Allan, a history and genre painter, spent a decade in Rome, during which period he studied with Gavin Hamilton. His 'Hector’s Farewell from Andromache' won the Accademia di S Luca's gold medal in 1773.