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
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...