Fiesole, Cloister of S. Domenico

Oscar F. Bluemner

National Gallery of Art

The image is a sketch with a bird's-eye view of a complex of buildings with a variety of rooftops that are angled and layered across the composition. The horizon is placed high, offering a distant view of rolling hills, with a small house and a windmill perched on one of them. The drawing is created with quick, loose pen strokes, giving a lively and dynamic feel to the scene. The color palette is monochromatic, featuring black ink on a beige background, creating a classic and historical atmosphere. In the foreground, there is a dense arrangement of irregular architectural shapes amid foliage made with looped and jagged lines. Further back, a church with a pointed steeple is central to the surrounding structures. The scene is depicted with contour lines only, without shading, allowing the viewer to imagine the depth and texture within the architecture and landscape.