Sometimes the sense of harmony between works of art and the space they occupy is simply perfect. This was the case with the extensive Anthony Caro retrospective installed in the Mercati di Traiano, a large architectural complex built for public use during the early second century A.D. A severe rhythm reigns in this building, the large halls alternating with smaller ones, laid out on various levels and culminating in a grand outdoor semicircle. It was in this semicircle—which has an evocative view of the ancient Roman Forum—that Caro installed his most abstract, linear pieces.

These works, which