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A View Near the Arco Scuro, Looking Towards the Villa Medici, Rome

image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art | CC0 1.0

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Date

1785

Artist

Francis Towne (1739/40-1816)

Collection

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Description

Towne left Exeter, in southwestern England, to visit Italy in 1780-81. After his return, a former student commissioned this Roman view showing a steep road falling away over a hill toward the Villa Medici (now the Académie Française). Towne made a series of sketches along the rural road behind the villa in November 1780 and used one as the basis of the later composition. His interest lay not in famous landmarks but in capturing effects of light falling across overgrown foliage, contrasted with patches of deep shade. Employing an innovative method to create tone, he began with layers of pure color then moved on to pigments mixed with brown or black. This reversal of the traditional order allowed greater subtlety, particularly in the darks.

Image Licence

CC0 1.0

Image Credit

image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Location

Villa Medici, Rome, Italy

Country

Tags

Cliffs
Roads

Category

Buildings & Architecture

Glossary
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© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform

© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform