Italian Mountain Landscape

Friedrich Salathé

1826

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Landscape

About this work

This sketch shows a quiet mountain range with soft, rolling hills. A small village sits near a river, tucked between the slopes. The lines are light and quick, almost like a first draft. The artist used only graphite on paper, keeping it simple and sketchy. The hills fade into the distance, giving a sense of depth without much detail. Next, look up Romanticism to see how artists used nature to express big feelings.