Artwork
Farm with Trees in a Hilly Landscape (verso)

Farm with Trees in a Hilly Landscape (verso) is a drawing by the Renaissance artist Gherardo Cibo. It dates from 1567 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Farm with Trees in a Hilly Landscape (verso) is a pen-and-pencil drawing executed by the Italian Renaissance artist Gherardo Cibo in 1567. The work measures a modest sheet of paper and is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. It presents a simplified rural scene rendered in monochrome, emphasizing spatial arrangement over decorative detail.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts two modest wooden dwellings positioned on a gently sloping hill, each surrounded by sparse vegetation. A lower house rests near the foot of the slope, while a second structure occupies a mid‑hill location. The surrounding trees and bushes suggest a cultivated landscape, inviting contemplation of human habitation within a natural setting.
Technique & Style
Cibo employed loose, rapid pencil strokes to outline forms, allowing the drawing to function as a study rather than a finished illustration. The emphasis lies on tonal variation and line to convey volume and depth, creating an illusion of three‑dimensional space on a flat surface. The absence of color directs attention to the interplay of light and shadow across the hills.
History & Provenance
Created in 1567, the drawing remained in private hands before entering the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Renaissance drawing collection. Its provenance reflects the typical trajectory of 16th‑century Italian sketches, moving from the artist’s workshop to later collectors interested in preparatory studies.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gherardo Cibo, also known by the alias of Ulisse Severini da Cingoli (1512 − 30 January 1600), was an artist and a herbalist from Italy.














