De villa van Cavaliere Galbarri te Rimaggio 1709 - 1769

Bernardino Minozzi made this delicate drawing of the Villa of Cavaliere Galbarri in Rimaggio, using pen and brown ink wash. Note the evenness of the strokes, as the artist built up the composition of the house and its surrounding landscape. The brown ink wash gives the scene an airy, sun-drenched quality. It also evokes the tradition of ‘quadratura,’ which was a popular type of architectural painting during the Baroque period. Artists would use perspective to create the illusion of greater space and grandeur. You can see that impulse here, not just in the linear perspective but in the very tonal quality of the drawing. Minozzi's application of the brown wash reflects a mastery of the medium. It suggests the warm, earthy tones of the Italian countryside. More than just a literal depiction, it’s a constructed vision. This reminds us that the means of production always shape the final outcome. In art, as in architecture, the method is the message.