Paul Cézanne, 'The Avenue at Chantilly', 1888. London, The National Gallery.

Landscapes: Real landscapes

Artists can invent landscapes to communicate ideas about space, light and atmosphere, or they may choose to record these qualities in actual places. Recognisable views of the countryside and cities are often depicted in the background of religious images, such as altarpieces. Those painted in Italy during the Renaissance show Bible scenes taking place in Italian towns and landscapes, rather than in Palestine or Syria where they were originally set. This made the stories seem more relevant to contemporary Italian audiences, as the religous events appeared to be taking place nearby as part of daily life.

Some views - such as Canaletto's paintings of Venice - hardly seem to have changed since the artists depicted them, and are painted with almost photographic detail. Other landscapes of real places, such as the painting by Cézanne shown here, tell the viewer more about the location than a photograph ever could by capturing the effects of changing light.

See Also

• Piero della Francesca, 'The Baptism of Christ'
• Meindert Hobbema, 'The Avenue of Middelharnis'
• Canaletto, 'The Doge's Palace'

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