Landschaft mit einem Haus mit Turm 1744

Johann Ludwig Aberli made this landscape with ink and grey wash on paper. He was part of a generation of Swiss artists who found a ready market for topographical views among Grand Tourists in the late eighteenth century. Aberli’s picturesque scene includes a variety of conventional motifs: the prominent tree, the rustic building with a tower, and the distant prospect. The presence of a round temple on the hilltop also recalls the classical tradition. The style reflects the influence of French landscape painting and the conventions of the picturesque as they spread throughout Europe. The art market played a key role in defining the picturesque aesthetic in the late 1700s, and artists like Aberli catered to wealthy collectors who wanted portable souvenirs of their travels. Art historians study account books, travel guides, and other documents to understand the culture of tourism in this period, and how it shaped the production and consumption of art.