Veuë de la Fonteine de Tyvoli
late 17th century
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-533-242
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Gabriel Perelle (1604–1677), a prolific French printmaker and engraver, the grandeur of Italy's Villa d'Este in *Veuë de la Fonteine de Tyvoli*, late 17th-century from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection. This topographic view showcases one of Tivoli's iconic fountains, a marvel of Renaissance engineering near Rome, where cascading waters and ornate stonework symbolized the harmony of nature and human ingenuity. Perelle's work reflects the era's fascination with *vedute*—detailed scenic prints that brought distant architectural wonders to European audiences unable to travel. As a...