Castel Gandolfo with Lake Albano at the Left c. 1810

Josephus Augustus Knip’s rendering of Castel Gandolfo with Lake Albano was composed using graphite and grey wash on paper. These humble materials create a compelling image, but also speak to Knip's working method. Unlike the grand oil paintings that dominated the art world, the drawing is more immediate, more transportable. The layering of the grey wash emphasizes tonal variation in the landscape, and builds a sense of atmosphere. This is a work about close observation and sensitivity to the environment. What is most interesting here is Knip's approach to labor; drawings like this were often made in preparation for larger paintings. It is the work of gathering information, a kind of visual research. But we might also consider it an end in itself. The drawing stakes a claim for the value of direct experience, and the skill required to capture it. In doing so, it challenges the hierarchy between the sketch and the finished masterpiece.