Canalization of the Mouth of the Sasso Vino into the Lake of Castel Gandolfo: Perspective and Plan 1710 - 1727

Pietro Paolo Coccetti made this drawing of the Canalization of the Mouth of the Sasso Vino into the Lake of Castel Gandolfo with pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, and watercolor on off-white laid paper. This image shows the artist's meticulous hand, rendering both perspective and plan views. The precision is remarkable. Coccetti has expertly captured the nuances of light and shadow on stone, and the texture of the natural rock face. But this isn't just a pretty picture. It's a record of a major engineering project, the kind that defined early modern Italy. Water management was a serious undertaking. It required expertise in masonry, hydraulics, and surveying. Coccetti's drawing collapses art and engineering. It reminds us that aesthetics and technical prowess were always intertwined. His work embodies the spirit of an age that sought to master nature through human ingenuity.