Genzano and Lake Nemi
early 19th century
Medium
Watercolor over graphite.
Dimensions
13 7/8 x 19 3/4 in. (35.3 x 50.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Van Day Truex Fund, 1987
Accession Number
1987.338
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Genzano and Lakeemi*, a delicate early 19th-century over graphite by Dutch artist Josephus Augustus Knip (1777–1845). This 13⅞ × 19¾-inch drawing captures the idyllic Italian landscape near Rome, where the hilltop town of Genzano overlooks the shimmering Lake Nemi amid lush trees and rustic buildings. Knip, from a family of renowned painters, excelled in precise, naturalistic depictions of nature, blending scientific observation with artistic beauty during the Romantic era's fascination with sublime scenery. The medium—graphite underdrawing topped with translucent watercolor—highlight...