View of Lake Como
August 27, 1781
Medium
Pen and brown ink and watercolor
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 1/4 × 8 1/4 in. (15.9 × 21 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2016
Accession Number
2016.620
Tags
Art Historical Context
**View of Lake Como** Francis Towne, dated August 27, 1781, captures the serene of one of Italy's most picturesque. This intimate drawing, executed in pen and brown ink with watercolor on a modest sheet measuring just 6¼ × 8¼ inches, reflects the topographic precision characteristic of Towne's landscapes. Created during the era of the Grand Tour, when British artists journeyed to Italy for inspiration, it likely stems from Towne's own travels through northern Italy, where he sketched directly from nature to evoke the region's dramatic hills and shimmering waters. Towne's technique masterfully...