Entrance to the Gardens of the Villa Giulia 1746 - 1749

This is Joseph Marie Vien's quick pencil sketch of the Entrance to the Gardens of the Villa Giulia. The artist worked with graphite and paper, humble materials that allowed for spontaneity and portability. Notice how Vien uses varied pressure and density to suggest form, light and shadow. The softness of the graphite allows for smudging and blending, creating an atmospheric perspective and a sense of depth. The textured surface of the paper also plays a role, catching the graphite and adding a subtle graininess to the drawing. This sketch wasn't meant as a finished product, but rather as a way of quickly capturing a scene, marking out composition, and light, and shadow, similar to a photographer today using their phone. The marks capture a specific moment in time, a fleeting impression of a particular place. By valuing the process and materiality of this sketch, we can appreciate the artistic skill involved and challenge traditional distinctions between high art and craft.