Mountainous River Landscape with Bathers
1761
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1761
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a rocky riverbank where two people bathe in the water. Behind them, a hillside town clings to a mountain, with ruins and trees scattered around. The sky is pale with a few birds flying, and the whole scene looks soft and smudged, like it was drawn quickly. The artist used thin, sketchy lines and light washes of color to keep things loose and natural. The bathers are the only real focus—everyone else in the town is tiny and blurry. Next, look up gouache to see how this technique works.
