Italian Landscape
Framed: 18 x 23-1/2 x 1-1/4 in. (45.7 x 59.7 x 3.2 cm)
In 1810, the German-born archaeologist Jakob Linkh moved to Athens, and while in Greece, he excavated several important archaeological sites. Linkh and several German colleagues discovered in 1811, for instance, the Temple of Aphaia at Aegina. The pedimental marble sculptures from this early classical temple site were later acquired by the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig I (crowned King in 1825) for the antique sculpture collection in Munich.
Like other antiquarians of the period, Linkh made a sojourn to Italy to view that country’s classical monuments and its picturesque natural wonders. This study records the artist’s obvious regard for the gentle topography of the Italian countryside. Though probably drawn out-of-doors from life, the scenic view is rendered through the filtered lens of Neo-Classicism. Lyrical lines and pale washes define a carefully constructed vista of rustic buildings, tended fields, and soft mountains that are skillfully balanced by stands of trees at the sides of the composition—much like the framing curtains of a stage set.
