Walls of Rome with Santa Maria del Popolo in the Distance
1747
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1747
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a quiet cityscape with simple buildings and trees. The lines are loose and quick, like a quick note of what the artist saw. Some trees lean in, others stand tall, and a dome peeks over the rooftops in the distance. The artist used only graphite, leaving the paper mostly white to keep focus on the shapes. The buildings look plain, but the trees have a lot of detail in their branches. Next, check out the Baroque movement for more dramatic city views like this one.
