Tempeltje van de Sibylle te Tivoli 1580 - 1622

Gillis van Valckenborch rendered this landscape with the Temple of Sibyl at Tivoli using pen and brown ink around the turn of the 17th century. The Temple, a celebrated ruin since antiquity, is delicately yet meticulously depicted, while the surrounding landscape is conjured with layers of dynamic cross-hatching. The artist paid careful attention to the way the ink was layered, manipulating its tonal qualities to conjure depth and atmosphere. With close inspection, you can see where the artist has carefully controlled the pressure of the pen to create thin lines in the distance, and bold lines in the foreground. Although just a drawing, and seemingly straightforward, the artist has engaged with the materiality of ink to highlight both the monumentality of the architecture and the sublimity of the landscape. With simple materials, Valckenborch elevated the image to a poetic meditation on time, ruin, and nature. This is a subtle but deeply considered work.