Cleveland Museum of Art

Figures on a Winding Road

Salvator Rosa

Date

mid-1600s

Medium

Pen and brown ink and brush and gray and brown wash, traces of framing lines in brown ink

Culture

Italy, 17th century

Department

Drawings

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The vitality of Rosa’s landscapes is indebted to his practice of constantly drawing the world around him, incorporating fresh observations of nature into his wild and awe-inspiring mature landscapes. Rosa’s drawings from the 1650s showcase his interest in capturing the mysterious and savage qualities of nature. Through sinewy paths or anthropomorphic cliffs, the environment overwhelms the small figures, evoking the power and magical qualities of nature.

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