Artwork

Hotel da Ville de la Rochelle, France

Hotel da Ville de la Rochelle, France, by Alois Senefelder, 1818
Hotel da Ville de la Rochelle, France, by Alois Senefelder, 1818

Hotel da Ville de la Rochelle, France is a print by the Romanticist artist Alois Senefelder. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Hotel da Ville de la Rochelle, France is a black-and-white print created by Alois Senefelder in 1818, held at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a grand building with intricate stonework and a courtyard, capturing the textures and shadows of the architecture. A lone figure is shown possibly sketching, adding a sense of human presence.

Technique & Style

Senefelder employed sharp lines to convey the building's details, utilizing chiaroscuro to create a dramatic effect through the contrast of light and dark.

Context

This print was created to document real architecture, showcasing Senefelder's interest in recording existing structures rather than imagining new ones.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Alois Senefelder

Artist

Alois Senefelder

Johann Alois Senefelder was a German actor and playwright who invented the printing technique of lithography in the 1790s.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.