Civitella, das heutige Bellegra 

This drawing, by Ludwig Metz, captures Civitella – now Bellegra – with delicate pencil strokes. The soft gradations and subtle tonal shifts construct a tranquil, almost ethereal landscape. The composition invites a formal exploration of depth and perspective. Metz employs a horizontal format, layering space through the receding hills and valleys. The foreground is loosely defined, allowing the eye to drift towards the more articulated forms of the central hill, crowned with what appears to be the town itself. Light plays an interesting role. It defines the contours of the land while also flattening the image, creating a tension between the illusion of three-dimensionality and the two-dimensional surface. Consider how the artist destabilizes our sense of spatial certainty. The pencil lines, while descriptive, maintain a certain ambiguity, resisting a singular, fixed reading. This openness reflects a broader engagement with the fluidity of perception and representation. We are reminded that art is not merely a mirror reflecting reality, but an active construction of meaning, perpetually open to re-interpretation.