De Villa d'Este te Tivoli 1761 - 1817

Daniël Dupré made this wash drawing of Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Italy, sometime between 1751 and 1817. The Villa d’Este, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was a popular destination for artists on the Grand Tour, and Dupré’s drawing offers a glimpse into the lives of the working class who facilitated the travels of wealthy Europeans. In the foreground, we see figures tending to their animals, their labor contrasting sharply with the leisure activities associated with the villa itself. The subdued palette and careful attention to detail evoke a sense of quiet dignity in the everyday lives of these workers. Look at how the artist frames the workers with architectural elements, almost as if to acknowledge the historical context that allows the artist to create his landscape. Dupré’s drawing serves as a reminder of the complex social and economic structures that underpin even the most picturesque of landscapes, inviting us to consider whose stories are often left out of the frame.