Johann Christian Klengel - Landschaft mit der Ruine des sogenannten Tempels der Minerva Medica in Rom (1791)

 

Source: Albertinum

(Kesselsdorf 1751-1824 Dresden)

Johann Christian Klengel, a traveler to Italy in the late 18th century, stands among those artists who profoundly influenced younger generations of the early 19th century with their images and ideas. Alongside Jakob Philipp Hackert, he was regarded as one of the most acknowledged representatives of his craft in his prime. Becoming an extraordinary professor of landscape painting at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts in 1800, Klengel later conveyed his views, largely shaped by Claude Lorrain and Gaspard Dughet, to artists like Carl Ludwig Kaaz.

"A new phase unfolded for Klengel's creations with his journey to Italy. The sublime charms of its nature captivated him, leaving an unmistakable imprint on his subsequent artworks. The effects of the mighty sun rays bestowed a unique allure to his works [...]. Rarely did he omit adorning his compositions with Roman or Greek ruins, integral to his studies, or with scenes depicting the unique customs and habits of agriculture in enchanting Italy."

The idyllic bucolic landscape near Rome, created during Klengel's Italian sojourn (1790-1792), is characterized by a remarkably meticulous rendition. Above the famous ruin, likely an ancient nymphæum, radiates a brilliantly blue sky. Klengel intertwined his memories of the land with Lorrain's widely acclaimed strategies in composition, light, and color effects. While critical of younger artists attempting to break old traditions by fervently embracing nature, he paradoxically laid both essential foundations and points of contention for the artists navigating between Classicism and Romanticism in subsequent years.

Source: 9783954982684