Terrace by a River with a Villa and Trees Beyond

1744/1750

Joseph-Marie Vien

Associated Names
Joseph-Marie Vien

Artist, French, 1716 - 1809

The image depicts a pencil drawing of a building and trees from a slightly elevated point of view. The building is off-center to the right and features multiple roofs and a cylindrical structure. The pencil strokes are detailed, with varying darkness for shadows and texture. The scene is monochromatic, using shades of grey from the pencil's graphite. A balustrade in the foreground extends horizontally, with detailed vertical supports. Trees with dense foliage surround the architecture in the distance.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    graphite on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 11.7 x 18 cm (4 5/8 x 7 1/16 in.)
    page size: 42.5 x 27.7 cm (16 3/4 x 10 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1983.49.170

Associated Artworks

See all 54 artworks
The image portrays an architectural ruin with a view of vertical elements such as a classical column and an arch. A statue is visible in a niche on the left. The brushstrokes are detailed, capturing the intricacies of the column and flowing water from a fountain. The color palette includes earthy browns, grays, subtle greens, and pale blue-gray. Water in the fountain is depicted with whites and blues. The scene conveys textures of aged stone and flowing water.

Fountain in a Courtyard

Charles Louis Clérisseau

1768

Album of Drawings of Rome and the Surrounding Countryside

Joseph-Marie Vien, Charles Louis Clérisseau

1744

This is a drawing of an architectural column detail. The drawing showcases the intricate design of a Corinthian column capital, featuring acanthus leaves and volutes typical of this classical style. The upper portion includes the entablature with detailed measurements noted on the sides. The shading and line work emphasize precision and detail, focusing on the decorative and structural elements of the Corinthian order.

L'Ordre Corinthian

Charles Louis Clérisseau

1768

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Antonio Cesare Poggi (died c. 1836; Lugt 617); Charles Edouard Mewes; Mark J. Millard, New York; purchased by NGA, 1983.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1988

  • Gaehtgens, Thomas W. and Jacques Lugand. Joseph-Marie Vien Peintre du Roi (1716-1809). Paris, 1988, 132-133, no. 17a (all Vien drawings repr.)

1993

  • Wiebenson, Dora and Claire Baines. The Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection, Volume I, French Books Sixteenth through Nineteenth Centuries. Washington, DC, 1993, no. 53 (1983.49.187 repr.).

Wikidata ID

Q64591473

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