Cleveland Museum of Art

River Landscape with View of St. Peter's Basilica

Giovanni Francesco Grimaldi

Date

after 1660

Medium

pen and brown ink over traces of black chalk; framing lines in graphite

Culture

Italy, 17th century

Department

Drawings

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

With much of Saint Peter’s Basilica obscured by the energetic lines that form the foliage, the building appears integrated into the landscape in this river scene. What stands out is the massive dome jutting from the tree line. Designed by Michelangelo in 1547, the dome was completed in 1590, after his death. Michelangelo made many contributions to the architecture of Rome, but it was the dome of Saint Peter’s that fundamentally altered the city’s iconic skyline. Although loosely sketched and without fine detail, the dome in this drawing remains immediately recognizable as an emblem of Rome.

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