Aqua Cetosa_ Italienische Ideallandschaft, im Vordergrund Schifferboote und zwei Männer mit Büffeln 1872

Friedrich Preller the Elder made this Italianate landscape in the nineteenth century with graphite on paper. Graphite, a form of carbon, is a relatively common material, and these drawings would have been considered studies or sketches rather than finished works. The artist has exploited the material’s capacity to suggest texture and light. Through carefully modulated marks, he evokes the ruggedness of the foreground, in contrast to the smooth water and cloudy sky. Look at the way the graphite captures the weight and form of the buffalos, central to the composition. This is a Romantic vision of the Italian landscape, yet it doesn’t shy away from the realities of labor. The figures working with the buffalos and boats indicate the close relationship between the people and their environment. Preller’s choice of materials, and the way he applied them, underscores the connection between labor, land, and artistic representation.