Landschaft mit badenden Nymphen 

Giovanni Francesco Grimaldi made this pen and brown ink drawing, "Landscape with Bathing Nymphs," probably in Rome, sometime in the mid-17th century. This is an idealized vision of nature, inhabited by mythological figures. Here, Grimaldi invokes a classical past, when people were thought to live in harmony with nature. But it also reflects the values of his own time. The 17th century saw the rise of landscape painting as a distinct genre, prized by wealthy collectors who saw nature as a source of aesthetic pleasure. Grimaldi himself was part of an artistic culture tied to powerful institutions. The Accademia di San Luca, for example, promoted classical ideals in art. Understanding this work fully requires historical research, looking into the artistic conventions of 17th-century Rome. We can find out about the institutions and patrons that supported artists like Grimaldi. This helps us to grasp the social meanings embedded in this seemingly simple landscape.