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In thevisual arts, acityscape (urban landscape) is an artistic representation, such as apainting,drawing,print orphotograph, of the physical aspects of acity orurban area. It is the urban equivalent of alandscape.Townscape is roughly synonymous withcityscape, though it implies the same difference in urban size and density (and even modernity) implicit in the difference between the wordscity andtown. Inurban design the terms refer to the configuration of built forms and interstitial space.
From the first century A.D. dates afresco at theBaths of Trajan inRome depicting a bird's eye view of an ancient city.[1] In the Middle Ages, cityscapes appeared as a background forportraits andbiblical themes. From the 16th up to the 18th century numerouscopperplate prints andetchings were made showing cities inbird's eye view. The function of these prints was to provide a map-like overview.
In Ancient China, scroll paintings such asAlong the River During the Qingming Festival (Qingming Shanghe Tu) offer a panoramic view of the cities depicted.
Halfway through the 17th century the cityscape became an independent genre in theNetherlands. In his famousView of Delft in 1660–1661Jan Vermeer painted a quite accurate portrait of the cityDelft. Cities likeAmsterdam,Haarlem andThe Hague also became popular subjects for paintings. Painters from other European countries (i.e.,Great Britain,France,Germany) followed the Dutch example. The 18th century was a flourishing period for cityscape painting inVenice (Canaletto,Guardi).
At the end of the 19th century theimpressionists focused on the atmosphere and dynamics ofeveryday life in the city. Suburban and industrial areas, building sites andrailway yards also became subjects for cityscapes. During the 20th century attention became focused onabstract andconceptual art, and thus the production of cityscapes declined. American painterEdward Hopper, who stayed loyal to figurative painting, created intriguing images of the American scene. With a revival of figurative art at the end of the 20th century comes a revaluation of the cityscape. Well-known living cityscape painters areRackstraw Downes,Antonio López García, andRichard Estes. American artistYvonne Jacquette has made a specialty ofaerial cityscapes.
