Villa d'Este, Tivoli 1744 - 1750

Joseph Marie Vien captured Villa d'Este in Tivoli with graphite on paper. This choice of a readily available material makes the artwork accessible, a departure from the more formal, academic styles of Vien's time. The graphite, applied with varying pressure, delineates the architectural structure of the villa, set amidst lush foliage. The strokes, free and energetic, convey a sense of immediacy, as if capturing the essence of the scene in a fleeting moment. The paper's surface absorbs the graphite, creating a range of tonal values that evoke light and shadow. While graphite and paper are humble materials, the skill lies in the artist's ability to transform them into a window onto a specific time and place. Vien was interested in neoclassicism, here we see the traditional skills being used to capture a scene, revealing a tension between the desire for classical grandeur and the accessibility of everyday life. This interplay challenges the rigid hierarchy of art, suggesting that beauty can be found in the act of observing and recording the world around us.