Gezicht vanaf Pozzuoli op de baai van Napels 1830

Jacobus van den Berg’s drawing captures the Bay of Naples from Pozzuoli using graphite on paper. Notice the linear composition, where the horizon divides the sheet, balancing the topographical rendering of the landscape with the subtle gradations of tone of the sea. The materiality of the graphite allows van den Berg to employ hatching and contour lines, creating depth and texture, thus giving form to the geographical elements. This technique results in a detailed yet delicate rendering of the scene, from the buildings in the foreground to the distant mountains. The sparse use of detail directs our gaze across the horizontal expanse. Here, van den Berg offers not a photorealistic depiction but a structural interpretation of space and form. The act of drawing, in this context, becomes an exercise in understanding and representing the underlying framework of the natural world.