Artwork
La Serpentara near Olevano
La Serpentara near Olevano is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Friedrich Preller. It dates from 1829 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
La Serpentara near Olevano is a drawing by Friedrich Preller, created on 2 June 1829, during his time in Italy. The work captures a scene of twisted trees and rocky hillside near the village of Olevano, southeast of Rome.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing focuses on an oak forest in La Serpentara, conveying Preller's fascination with the area's natural harmony. He aimed to depict nature's grandeur and vitality, rather than mere scenic beauty, emphasizing the dynamic interplay of light, shadow, and organic forms.
Technique & Style
Preller employed lively pen work, combining light outlines with darker, parallel hatching. This technique, akin to chiaroscuro, leverages the white paper to evoke a bright, airy atmosphere, set against deeper, shaded areas, creating a sense of depth and movement.
History & Provenance
Created during Preller's 1828-31 Italian sojourn, funded by a Grand Duke stipend, the drawing reflects influences from his teacher Joseph Anton Koch. The piece is inscribed with location and date in the lower left corner.
Context
Preller's repeated depictions of this spot near Olevano, while in Rome, reflect his observational focus on nature's 'organic coherence', as he later described the area's appeal.
Artist & collection
Artist
Friedrich Preller the Elder (25 April 1804 in Eisenach – 23 April 1878 in Weimar) was a German landscape painter and etcher.
Pastoral Landscape with a Waterfall and a Temple
Landscape with lake
Landscape with Trees and Craggy Rocks
Rocky Landscape with a Rustic House
Landscape with a Wooded Ravine
Wooded Landscape
The buildings of Macau seen across fields from a tree-lined lane
Landscape: a stream running between trees
Deer Park
Le chêne au ravin (Oak Tree by a Ravine)
The Vision (L'apparition)
Two Figures Fishing in a Landscape