Italian Girls In A Monastery

Two Italian girls, in costume from southern Italy, sit around a waterhole, facing a sitting monk, a book on their knees, in front of the remains of a medieval cloister. The work bears the signature "van der Nüll 844" at the bottom left. This is Eduard van der Nüll (1812-1868), Austrian architect whose most famous building is the famous Vienna Opera House. Made in collaboration with August Sicard von Sicardsburg, van der Nüll was more particularly in charge of the sets and this watercolor gives us some examples of the type of patterns that can be found on the facade of the building. The artist was particularly successful in making us feel the weight of the heat wave that falls on the three characters and causes weariness, particularly of the two girls who are installed in full sun. Many details are revealed as and observations: two swallows drinking, a lizard sprung from a stone, a stained glass window, a shield ... The type of subject treated is typical of the romantic era to which lived van der Nüll.
From the ex-collection of Erzherzog Frederic who owned the Albertina in Vienna (number 20144).