Gezicht in Tivoli 1786 - 1857

Abraham Teerlink drew this view of Tivoli in pencil sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The landscape art of this period was increasingly shaped by a tension between romantic ideals and the growth of modern tourism. Here we see a distant view of the town and the surrounding hills. Although it’s an Italian scene, you can see how Teerlink frames it through the conventions of Dutch landscape art. The low horizon and the subtle tonal gradations of his pencil work recall the landscapes of the Dutch Golden Age. By the 19th century, however, these conventions also served an expanding tourist industry. Tivoli was a popular stop on the Grand Tour, and views like this one met the growing demand for picturesque souvenirs. To understand this drawing fully, we might consult guidebooks and travel accounts from the period. These sources help us to understand the social and economic contexts that shaped the production and consumption of art. They remind us that even the most seemingly straightforward landscape contains a history of cultural exchange.