Landscape with hills and a lake, trees in right foreground. 1615 - 1673

Salvator Rosa made this pen and brown ink drawing of a landscape in the mid-17th century. Rosa was Neapolitan, working in a period when Naples was part of the Spanish Empire, an often rebellious and unruly territory. The sketch depicts a wild, untamed landscape, very much in line with Rosa's reputation as an unconventional and rebellious artist. The dramatic, almost theatrical, quality of the scene speaks to a desire to break with the more mannered and idealized landscapes favored by the artistic establishment. Rosa was fascinated by the sublime, a concept gaining traction at the time, emphasizing awe and terror. To fully understand Rosa's work, we need to delve into the social and intellectual currents of his time, examining the complex relationship between artists and the institutions that sought to control them. By studying historical documents, letters, and critical writings, we can gain insights into the forces that shaped Rosa's artistic vision.