The Capuchin Convent at Amalfi

This sketch was painted during the summer of 1829 when Blechen was visiting Amalfi, down the coast from Naples. The Capuchin convent, seen here perched on a wall of rock, was frequently visited by artists. By positioning the vertical mass of rocks in the foreground, Blechen leads our eyes into the space beyond, towards the monastery whose mass seems almost to blend into the rocks.

Credit: The Gere Collection, on long-term loan to the National Gallery