Landscape of the Italian Campagna 1780

Jens Petersen Lund made this drawing, Landscape of the Italian Campagna, with pen and brown ink. This landscape reflects a long tradition of artists traveling to Italy, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Italian Campagna, the countryside surrounding Rome, became a popular subject. Artists were interested in capturing the ruins of ancient civilizations and the picturesque qualities of the landscape. They often presented idealized versions of rural life, which obscured the socio-economic realities experienced by the people who lived and worked there. This drawing is a fine example of that trend. Lund made this drawing with the institutions of art in mind. It shows that he would have been aware of the aesthetic preferences of the art market and the expectations of his patrons. To gain a fuller understanding of this artwork, it would be useful to investigate the travel patterns of artists, the art market in Europe, and the cultural perception of Italy during this time.