The Cloister of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura, Rome

Suzanne Lord Folds Endowment Fund

"The Cloister of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura, Rome" (1827) Brush and various gray washes over traces of graphite, on ivory wove paper, laid down on cream wove paper.

Commentary

"The Cloister of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura, Rome" by Unknown (1827) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Themes to notice include drawings (visual works). This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Unknown is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Unknown Artist German or Scandinavian, 19th century. The work is cataloged within a Germany cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as drawings (visual works), which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Brush and various gray washes over traces of graphite, on ivory wove paper, laid down on cream wove paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (27.6 × 30.3 cm (10 7/8 × 11 15/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include drawings (visual works). Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/213429

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data