The Large Italian Landscape
Medium
Etching on ivory chine and buff wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 31.8 × 43.2 cm (12 9/16 × 17 1/16 in.); Chine: 41.5 × 51 cm (16 3/8 × 20 1/8 in.); Plate: 42.7 × 52 cm (16 13/16 × 20 1/2 in.); Sheet: 45.6 × 55.6 cm (18 × 21 15/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
137058
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Although originally from Germany, Johann Wilhelm Schirmer traveled to Italy, where he found solace in the countryside. The artist preferred to work en plein air, as did many of his predecessors, including Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin. Later in life, Schirmer became the director of the academy in Karlsruhe (1854–63) and donated many of his plein air works to the school as study materials. His paintings were known for their beautiful and recognizable vegetation, which also permeates his etch...