Vue à Nemi

Like the Palais de Nemi study in the same Louvre group, this cardboard sketch of Nemi records Valenciennes's sustained engagement with the volcanic crater lake south of Rome. Vue à Nemi approaches the site from a slightly different angle or under different light conditions than the palace view, demonstrating his practice of making multiple studies of the same motif to isolate distinct atmospheric states. This method, which he documented in his theoretical writing, was intended to give students evidence that place and light together constitute a scene — change either element and the picture changes entirely. The Nemi sketches collectively form a comparative set demonstrating this principle. The Louvre's holding of these works as a group rather than as isolated objects reflects their importance as pedagogical documents of early plein air practice rather than simply as individual artistic achievements.

Executed on cardboard with a limited, site-specific palette. Valenciennes responded to the particular quality of light at Nemi — bright sky against dark volcanic hillsides — with strong tonal contrast and relatively few intermediate values. The handling is swift and confident, consistent with a session of under two hours.