S. Francesco in Assisi 20 - 1824

Nikolaus Hoff made this drawing of S. Francesco in Assisi with graphite on paper. Here, the artist has fixed an image of the church and surrounding buildings with firm and light lines. The architecture is precise and detailed. It is interesting that the building material, stone, is represented by the very soft and pliable medium of graphite, which depends on the surface of paper to be made visible. Graphite and paper are affordable and convenient materials, which is the reason why they are so widely used. However, we are presented with an interesting comparison in the drawing between the soft graphite lines and the solid building structure. We might consider this drawing not only as a representation of a church but also as a cultural artifact in its own right. The making of the drawing involves a skilled tradition of draftsmanship but also, perhaps, reveals Hoff's perspective as an outsider looking in, translating the impressive stone facade into a readily portable form of visual information.