The Passage of a Corps of Troops near a Village
Medium
Pen and black ink, with brush and gray wash, on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
43.8 × 56.5 cm (17 1/4 × 22 1/4 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
3770
Art Historical Context
Wilhelm von Kobell, a German draftsman and painter active in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, specialized in military subjects and expansive landscapes. In this large pen-and-ink drawing, he records the steady advance of soldiers past a quiet village, capturing both the discipline of the marching column and the everyday life it momentarily interrupts. Executed in black ink with delicate gray washes on ivory paper, the work demonstrates Kobell’s mastery of tonal gradation. Fine pen lines define figures, horses, and architecture, while the brushwork creates atmospheric depth,...