Rural Crossroads, with Farm Buildings in Foreground
Medium
Pen and brown ink, over black chalk, on ivory laid paper, laid down on pale green laid paper
Dimensions
29.3 × 42.2 cm (11 9/16 × 16 5/8 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81009
Art Historical Context
Carlo Antonio Tavella’s “Rural Crossroads, with Farm Buildings in Foreground” captures a quiet moment in the Italian countryside. Created in 1734, late in the Genoese artist’s career, the drawing reflects the period’s growing interest in naturalistic landscape views that celebrated everyday rural life rather than grand historical subjects. Tavella, known for his sensitive depictions of the Ligurian hills and valleys, often worked in both oil and on paper, using drawings like this to record the play of light and texture across open fields and modest architecture. Executed in pen and brown ink ...