Italian Landscape 18th-19th century

drawing

architectural sketch

landscape illustration sketch

drawing

toned paper

ink painting

etching

pen-ink sketch

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

italy

watercolor

environment sketch

"Italian Landscape" is a pen and wash drawing by Giacomo Quarenghi, a prominent Italian architect of the 18th and 19th centuries. This small, detailed drawing depicts a picturesque Italian scene, likely from the artist's travels. A stone building with arched doorways and a small balcony is the focal point, with a large tree to the left and a bridge to the right, all situated in a hilly landscape. Quarenghi's architectural background shines through in the precise rendering of the structures, while the delicate use of wash creates a sense of depth and atmospheric light. This intimate drawing is a fine example of the Italian landscape genre and a testament to Quarenghi's keen eye for detail and his artistic talent.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Giacomo Quarenghi is sometimes called the last of Italy’s great architects. He realized his most ambitious projects in Russia, working for Catherine the Great (1729–1796). In his younger days he traveled throughout Italy, making drawings of architecture wherever he went. This lovely sketch comes from that time. Buildings like these formed Quarenghi’s design sensibility until he encountered the writings of the great Italian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). After that, he devoted himself to classical ideas from ancient Greek and Roman architecture, filling his work with symmetry and formal colonnades.