Tiber Valley

Claude executed many variations on the Tiber with its riverbanks, his preference being for stretches north of Rome. Here he opted for the area north of Ponte Molle, identifiable by the tower, namely the medieval fortress of Torre di Quinto. He began this drawing with a rough sketch in graphite, then completed it with fine touches of wash. He used a pen only for the tufts of grass in the foreground and the birds in the sky. On closer inspection, a change in composition can be noted here through the ghostly traces of three tall trees immediately to the right of the figures.