View of a Gorge in Italy, c1810 (?). Chauvin specialized in idealized landscapes with classicized figures or antique themes. He based his art, however, on the direct perception of nature, making quick oil sketches like this one, done outside. Such oil sketches were not considered works of art in their own right; rather, they were kept by the artist for later use in the studio as a means of refreshing his memory or as a teaching aid. Today, these oil studies are more highly valued and collectible than the large-scale neoclassical landscapes for which they were originally mere preparatory studies, because they are the direct forerunners of impressionist painting.