Artwork
Sketchbook of Italian Landscape Subjects
Sketchbook of Italian Landscape Subjects is a watercolor work on paper by the Hudson River School artist Jervis McEntee. It dates from 1869 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1982.217
- Credit line
- Morris K. Jesup Fund, 1982
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The sketchbook contains studies of Italian scenery rendered in graphite, watercolor, and white gouache on blue wove paper.
The sketchbook contains studies of Italian scenery rendered in graphite, watercolor, and white gouache on blue wove paper. Jervis McEntee recorded topographical details and atmospheric effects characteristic of 19th‑century landscape practice, using the bound format to explore compositional ideas in situ. These drawings function as visual notes that document the topography and mood of sites visited during his Italian journey, reflecting an interest in naturalistic observation and the expressive potential of plein‑air sketching.
History & Provenance
The Sketchbook of Italian Landscape Subjects was created by Jervis McEntee in 1869. This work consists of drawings executed in watercolor, graphite, and white gouache on blue wove paper, bound within cloth-covered boards. The Metropolitan Museum of Art currently holds the piece in its collection, where it is classified within The American Wing. The inception of the work is documented as 1869.
The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is cataloged under the inventory number 1983.123. It has been exhibited in the museum's "American Landscape Painting" exhibition in 1995 and in "The Drawings of Jervis McEntee" in 2002.
Overview
Created in 1869, this sketchbook contains a series of Italian landscape studies executed by Jervis McEntee. The pages are blue wove paper bound in cloth‑covered boards, each filled with quick, exploratory drawings that capture terrain, architecture, and foliage. The collection reflects McEntee’s practice of recording visual material for later development into larger works.
Technique & Style
McEntee employed a mixed media approach, combining graphite line work with washes of watercolor and accents of white gouache. The blue ground of the paper enhances tonal contrast, while the gouache highlights architectural details and light effects. The loose, gestural strokes convey immediacy, whereas finer graphite passages suggest careful study of form and perspective.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jervis McEntee (July 14, 1828 – January 27, 1891) was an American painter of the Hudson River School.
Saturday Afternoon
Autumn in the Catskills
Lake Maggiore May 12 1869 (recto, from sketchbook)![Village, Mountains, and Lake [Maggiore?] (recto, from sketchbook), by Jervis McEntee](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/jervis-mcentee--village-mountains-and-lake-maggiore-recto-from-sketchbook--3cfb09e258099ce7-w320.webp)
Village, Mountains, and Lake [Maggiore?] (recto, from sketchbook)
Mount Desert Island, Maine
Lake Como, May 1, 1869 (verso, from sketchbook)
Lake Maggiore, May 11,1869: Village and Landscape (recto, from Sketchbook)
Village on Lake Como: May 1, 1869 (verso, from sketchbook)
Landscape with Ruins (recto, from sketchbook)
Untitled
Peisaj de iarnă
Alps near Simplon
Landscape study
Cintra
Bărci cu pânze la cherhanaua de la Sarichioi
Stuf la Calica
River Bank with Cattle
Trees and Shrubs
Lake Maggiore, May 12, 1869 (verso, from Sketchbook)- Outline Sketch of Mountains (verso, from Sketchbook)