Early 1650s

Landscape with Ruins and a Cardinal

Dutch, c. 1600 - 1655

A trip to Italy, particularly Rome, was long considered an important component of training for Dutch and Flemish artists, affording them firsthand experience of the evocative remains of classical antiquity and the greatly admired achievements of Italian Renaissance artists. During the course of the seventeenth century, landscape prints depicting Italian views became increasingly popular, and a thriving market emerged for representations of classical ruins and the distinctive Italian terrain. Artists like Herman van Swanevelt, who built their careers by creating southern landscapes, came to be called "Italianates."