View of Marino in the Alban Hills 1750 - 1807

Editor: This is Jacob Philipp Hackert's "View of Marino in the Alban Hills," made sometime between 1750 and 1807, and it's currently at the Met. It's a delicate sepia drawing, almost monochromatic. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This drawing embodies the burgeoning Neoclassical interest in the Italian landscape, and its idealization through the lens of the Grand Tour. It begs the question: What made these picturesque views so attractive to wealthy Northern Europeans? Editor: I guess they romanticized the history and culture... kind of claiming a connection? Curator: Exactly! The appropriation of Roman and Italian history was fashionable and conferred a certain status. And this drawing, intended for a print, allowed those who hadn’t visited to vicariously participate in the experience. Notice how the artist meticulously depicts both the natural scenery and the architectural elements of Marino. What effect does that combination have on the viewer? Editor: It makes it feel both real and kind of staged, I think. Like a backdrop. Curator: Precisely! This balance speaks to the performative nature of cultural tourism at the time. These images served to validate the cultural authority of the northern European elite, as well as advertise the status they could embody and project. This idyllic view, even as a print, became a signifier of refinement. Editor: So it's about showing off good taste? Curator: To some extent, yes. These landscape prints perpetuated a narrative where only a select group could appreciate the “beauty” and “historical significance” embedded within Italian lands, and what effect that history would bestow upon themselves. The view, ultimately, became an asset. Editor: I never considered art could be part of something so… strategic. I will definitely think twice next time I see a landscape piece. Curator: It is worth asking ourselves, "Whose view are we seeing and for what purpose was this view represented?” These landscapes are hardly innocent!