Italian View: A Pathway and Arbor at the Base of Cliffs
1815–21
Medium
Graphite, squared
Dimensions
sheet: 5 15/16 x 8 7/16 in. (15.1 x 21.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jeffrey Guerrier, 2005
Accession Number
2005.472
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Friedrich Salathé’s *Italian View: A Pathway and Arbor at the Base of Cliffs* captures a quiet moment of discovery along a winding path in the Italian countryside. Created between 1815 and 1821, the small graphite drawing reflects the early nineteenth-century fascination with Italy among Northern European artists, who traveled south to study its dramatic landscapes and classical ruins. The intimate scale—roughly postcard-sized—invites viewers to imagine Salathé sketching on site during his travels. The work’s medium and preparation reveal its practical purpose. Drawn in graphite and carefully...