(Düsseldorf 1827–1905)
A view of the garden of Villa d’Este in Tivoli, near Rome, signed, dated Osw. Achenbach 1881, oil on canvas, 110 x 81 cm, framed, (Rei)

Counterpart to lot 640

The Villa d’Este in Tivoli was constructed in the 16th century by the ambitious Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este (1509-72) who envisaged it as a Mannerist synthesis of the arts, a Gesamtkunstwerk. The gardens stretch over multiple terraces on the slope below the villa and are filled with humorous, technically demanding fountains: to achieve this, Ippolito d’Este had the entire valley reshaped, at great expense. 
In the 19th century, in particular, the Villa d’Este became a popular destination for excursions and a place to retreat from the heat of summer in the city. The now-iconic vista from the entranceway over the pools, terraces and cypresses of the gardens through to the villa was captured by a range of renowned artists in the 19th century, in particular. However, Achenbach’s depiction takes the viewer by surprise as a result of the unusual angled perspective through the garden. The villa’s main terrace can be seen to the right of the image. This places the cypresses and the apse of the small church San Pietro alla Carità, located in the centre of Tivoli outside the gardens, at the heart of the image. The people strolling by with white parasols lend the impression of a carefree excursion and seem to have just started descending into the gardens.