Rots en stad Scilla in de regio Calabrië aan de oostkust 1778

Louis Ducros made this watercolor of the rocks and town of Scilla in Calabria on the east coast of Italy. Ducros emphasizes a structured, almost architectural rendering of the natural landscape. The composition divides into distinct horizontal bands, from the rocky foreground to the imposing fortress atop the hill. Notice how the linear quality of the architecture contrasts with the more organic forms of the rocks and foliage, yet both are rendered with a similar level of detail, suggesting an equivalence between human construction and natural formation. The limited palette of earth tones reinforces this sense of unity. The play of light and shadow across the surfaces adds depth and volume to the forms. This is not just a depiction of a place; it is an exploration of form and structure, revealing Ducros' engagement with the intellectual currents that sought to understand the world through reason and order. Art, like philosophy, becomes a tool for analyzing and classifying the world.