Rio Jnhomerim

As a young man, Johann Moritz Rugendas travelled through Brazil, initially as the draughtsman for a scientific expedition. The 19th-century German artist is best known for his depictions of South America, and this drawing from 1835 fits perfectly into this context. I find it fascinating that the picture therefore does not merely appear as a landscape, but almost as a recorded travel observation. Measuring 57 x 48 cm, the Rio Inhomirim opens out into the bay of Rio de Janeiro. A river winds its way between overgrown banks into the distance; on the left stand two tall palm trees, behind which mountains are layered in the haze. In the foreground is a rowing boat with several figures; further back, a small sailing boat sits in front of a white house set amongst greenery. It is not a dramatic scene, but rather a tranquil observation of nature in shades of brown, green and ochre. The French inscriptions at the edge of the page remain legibly printed - for me, this is the detail that most clearly highlights the work’s documentary character.

The entire image is printed on Salvador, a matt canvas with a noticeable grain. The texture of the fabric shows through into the image area: above the water and in the treetops, the fine grid of the fabric lies beneath the ink, which suits the lithographic tone of the motif remarkably well. The border design is striking. A black border runs around the sheet, followed by a strip of unprinted fabric approximately three centimetres wide - this is where the canvas’s texture is most pronounced. Only then does the frame appear: ‘Amelie’, a narrow black moulding with a gold inner edge, 18 mm wide. Its black colour continues the border, whilst the gold adds just a small, classical accent - the print needs nothing more. Thus, the two elements are intertwined here: a documentary account of a journey and a Brazilian river landscape that retains its tranquillity even after almost two hundred years.