View of an Italian city, 1729

About the Work

Little is known about the career of Theodoor Wilkens. He may have been an amateur artist who was not compelled to live from his work. At any rate, he sojourned in Rome for several years between 1710 and 1720. For his drawings of southern landscapes – which he continued to produce even after his return – Wilkens took orientation from brush-and-ink works placing a strong emphasis on light as developed in Italy a century earlier by compatriots of his such as Bartholomeus Breenbergh. "View of an Italian city" is thus an early instance of recourse to the art of the Dutch Golden Age.