A Vision of Italy

From the early 16th century onwards, Italy held a particular fascination for artists in Northern Europe. Netherlandish artists above all longed to leave the cold, damp climate of their homeland for the warmer climes of the south. Encouraged by art theorists of the day, they set out on the arduous journey to Rome to study ancient architecture and painterly landscapes. The light of the south inspired them to carry out technical experiments with unconventional colour contrasts or unusual supports such as blue paper. And although not all artists were able to travel to Italy, many of those who stayed at home also had “A Vision of Italy”, drawing inspiration from the works of colleagues or, like Rembrandt in his depiction of “Saint Hieronymus in an Italian Landscape”, on graphic works by Italian artists. On their return, many of the “Oltramontani” continued to work for decades in the so-called Italian style, which was very popular with contemporary collectors. The exhibition includes a selection of imaginary landscapes as well as impressions drawn directly from nature.

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