View of the Vatican Quarter, Friedrich Nerly

Exhibition Label: "Empire of Things," 2013, Kate Meyer This keenly observed view of Rome conveys a passion for Italian light and a clarity of vision that remarkably preceded the “invention” of photography in 1839. Like many other German artists in the early 19th century, Friedrich Nerly left the colder climate of his native Germany in search of the warmth and vistas of Italy. Nerly’s idea of an Italian Grand Tour stemmed from his desire to portray nature, as evidenced in the lovingly depicted foliage in the foreground of this painting. The clear-eyed, proto-photographic sensibility is balanced with a romantic approach that was typical of the 1820s, whereby artists and writers sought to capture a fleeting mood of time and place and revive the glories of antiquity. Rome, with its many architectural wonders and ancient ruins, inevitably became the center for groups of artists from elsewhere, including the German circle to which Friedrich Nerly belonged. Archive Label: In the nineteenth century, the "romantic" landscape, aimed at capturing the fleeting mood of time and place and reviving the glories of antiquity, continued as a subject in painting. Rome, with its many architectural wonders and ancient ruins, inevitably became the center for the work of international groups of artists. Among them was Friedrich von Nerly, who came to be associated with the circle of German artists working in Rome. Like his contemporaries, Nerly expressed a keen observation of nature, adopting a method of painting outdoors on site, known as en plein air. The architectural detail and soft palette of this cityscape recall Nerly's sensitivity to form and color, which is why the painting is thought to be by him. Although this may be an actual view of the Vatican Quarter, the artist nevertheless suggests an idyllic landscape through his inclusion of amphorae, the large containers that stand in poised arrangement in the shallow foreground.