View of Ariccia
Medium
Brown wash over black chalk and graphite, heightened with watercolor
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 9/16 x 16 1/8 in. (26.8 x 41cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mrs. Carl L. Selden Gift, in memory of Carl L. Selden, 1982
Accession Number
1982.353
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jean-Achille Benou's *View of Ariccia* (1853) captures the picturesque charm of this historic town near Rome, Italy, favored stop for 19th-century European artists artistic pilgrimages. Rendered on a modest sheet measuring 10 9/16 x 16 1/8 inches, the drawing features stately buildings, winding roads, figures of men, and lush trees, evoking the serene beauty of the Roman countryside. Benouville a French academic painter known for his precise landscapes and architectural scenes, drew inspiration from Italy's classical heritage during a time when French artists embraced Romanticism's love for nature and antiquity. The artwork's mixed-media technique—brown wash over black chalk and graphite, heightened with watercolor—exemplifies 19th-century draftsmanship. The chalk and graphite provide fine lines and subtle shading for structure, while the translucent wash builds atmospheric depth, mimicking sunlight filtering through foliage. Watercolor highlights add luminosity, transforming this preparatory study into a luminous evocation of place, ideal for museum sketches that informed larger oil paintings. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1982, this drawing highlights the enduring appeal of Italy to French artists, bridging neoclassical precision with emerging plein-air spontaneity. Visitors will appreciate its intimate scale and evocative details, offering a window into mid-19th-century artistic travel and observation.
About the Artist
Jean-Achille Benouville (French) · 1815 –1891
French, Paris 1815–1891 Paris