Artwork
Italian Landscape
Italian Landscape is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Johann Franz Nepomuk Lauterer. It dates from 1716 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Johann Franz Nepomuk Lauterer’s oil painting titled Italian Landscape dates from 1716 and is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek. The work presents a tranquil rural vista, rendered in muted gray tones that emphasize form and atmosphere over vivid colour.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a gently rolling hillside punctuated by a rocky outcrop, beyond which a modest village can be seen. A narrow track beside a watercourse carries a procession of riders on horseback and donkeys, guiding a herd of cows and sheep. The composition suggests a peaceful, everyday agrarian life in an Italian setting.
Technique & Style
Lauterer employs subtle chiaroscuro, using delicate gradations of light and shadow to model the rocks and foliage. The overall palette is restrained, with a predominance of gray that unifies the landscape and draws attention to the interplay of shapes and illumination rather than colouristic detail.
History & Provenance
Created in the early eighteenth century, the painting entered the holdings of Munich’s Alte Pinakothek, where it remains on display. Its provenance prior to acquisition by the museum is not extensively documented, but the work reflects the period’s interest in idealised Italian countryside scenes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johann Franz Nepomuk Lauterer (1700–1733) was an artist, born in Vienna.
