435 - A. CAYLUS (1692–1765), Lombard Landscape with a Town, Etching

A. CAYLUS (1692–1765), Lombard Landscape with a Town, Etching Anne Claude Philippe de Caylus (1692, Paris – 1765, ibid.): Lombard landscape with a multi-towered city, 18th century, etching Technique: Etching on paper Inscription: Inscribed lower left on the printing plate: “Ecole Lombardo,” in the center: “Cab du Roy,” signed on the right: "C. Sculp" Date: 18th century Description: Anne Claude Philippe was a French count with roots in the French high nobility and is considered an early antiquarian and art collector. After beginning his career in the military, the Comte de Caylus soon turned to the artistic side of life. On a Grand Tour, he traveled through the Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, and Asia Minor and became acquainted with literature and art. He was particularly interested in antiquity and its fine arts, but he soon developed a connoisseurship of later art periods that was admired by many and also devoted himself to the academic study of art. In the early 18th century, Anne Claude Philippe was also active as an artist herself and belonged to the inner circle of the Rococo painter Antoine Watteau (1684–1721) and the French banker and art collector Pierre Crozat (c. 1661–1740). In his own collection and in the royal art collections, he primarily studied Italian master drawings and prints from the previous two centuries. He reproduced many of them himself—or had them reworked by professional etchers—for the *Recueil Crozat* catalogue raisonné, transforming them into etchings. This sheet also stems from this process, which began around 1723. The sketchy landscape offers an unusual and captivating perspective. From a slight elevation on the hilly bank of a wide sea tributary, the viewer looks through the trees and branches standing close in the foreground toward the landscape beyond. There, in front of a jagged ridge, rises a multi-towered northern Italian port town. A small sailing boat approaches from the left. Keywords: Lombardy, northern Italy, trees, city, nature, 18th century, Classicism, Landscape, Italy, Size: Paper: 25.4 cm x 40.3 cm (10 x 15.9 in) Condition: Good condition. Yellow-brown grease stains are visible in the lower right corner. Small irregularities in the application of color, likely caused by the printing process, are visible in some areas.