A Fortified Town in Italy
1744/1750
Medium
graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 12.6 x 18.9 cm (4 15/16 x 7 7/16 in.) page size: 42.5 x 27.7 cm (16 3/4 x 10 7/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection
Accession Number
1983.49.184
Art Historical Context
Joseph-Marie Vien's *A Fortified Town in Italy* (1744/1750) is a delicate graphite drawing on laid paper, capturing the sturdy silhouette of an Italian hill town with its protective walls, towers, and clustered buildings. Measuring just 12.6 x 18.9 cm, this intimate sketch exemplifies Vien's early fascination with Italy's architectural heritage during his formative years as a French artist. Vien, a pivotal figure bridging Rococo elegance and emerging Neoclassicism, won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1743, sending him to Italy from 1744 to around 1753—precisely when this work was created. Ren...
About the Artist
Joseph-Marie Vien · 1716–1809
Joseph-Marie Vien (1716–1809) was born on 18 June in Montpellier, France, into a modest family, emerging as a child prodigy in painting. As a protégé of the Comte de Caylus, he entered the studio of Charles-Joseph Natoire at an early age, honing his skills in history painting. Winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1743, Vien traveled to Italy in 1744, spending six formative years in Rome studyin...