Artist Drawing in an Italianate Landscape 1619 - 1674

Jan van Ossenbeeck created this pen and brown ink drawing of an artist in an Italianate landscape in the mid-17th century. Here we see an artist sketching outdoors, seeking inspiration in nature. This reflected a growing trend among Northern European artists to travel to Italy and absorb the classical and pastoral traditions, which they would then bring back home. The artist is shown recording the idyllic landscape, complete with grazing cattle and classical ruins. Ossenbeeck himself traveled to Italy, and this drawing exemplifies the artistic exchange that occurred between Northern and Southern Europe during this period. These images contributed to a developing visual culture that helped shape how people perceived the world. To learn more, we can look at travel journals, artists' biographies, and the records of art academies and workshops. These resources give us a sense of how artistic training and social networks influenced the production and circulation of art during this transformative time.