Landschaft mit einer Stadt und einer großen Brücke mit drei Bögen, vorne links drei Figuren 

Nicolaes Berchem made this landscape with a town and a large bridge with three arches in pen and gray ink. It captures a romanticized vision of the Italian countryside that was very fashionable in the Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age. These idealized landscapes served as a form of visual tourism for the wealthy merchant class, who were eager to display their cultural sophistication, even if they were not able to travel themselves. This drawing offers a glimpse into the visual codes and cultural references that shaped Dutch perceptions of Italy. The detailed rendering of the landscape elements, combined with the classical architectural forms, evokes a sense of harmony between nature and civilization. To fully appreciate the artwork, it helps to understand the institutional and social context in which it was created. By studying period travelogues, art criticism, and market data, we can shed light on the complex relationship between artistic production and social aspirations.