Rivierlandschap 1750 - 1803

Giovanni Volpato made this print of a river landscape using etching and burin techniques. We see a bustling scene of commerce and leisure, typical of 18th-century Italian landscapes. Volpato was part of a generation of artists working in the shadow of the Grand Tour, a cultural phenomenon where wealthy Europeans, especially Brits, toured Italy to soak up its classical heritage. His work catered to this market, creating picturesque scenes of Italy that tourists could take home as souvenirs. The image creates meaning through visual codes of class and labor: figures of men point towards ships, directing commercial enterprise in the distance. Others fish on the shore, while upper-class figures rest under a tree. These details would have resonated with the social hierarchies of Volpato's time. To understand this artwork better, we can research the history of the Grand Tour and the market for Italian landscape prints in the 18th century. Studying the artist's biography and other prints will also reveal his role within the artistic institutions of his day. Ultimately, the meaning of this artwork is intertwined with the social and economic conditions in which it was produced and consumed.