The artist no doubt drew the village from the Pietersberg on the other side of the river Maas
as seen from the west with the hillside forest, Savelsbos, rising up against the sky. The
houses of the village are barely visible between the dense screens of trees. The only
buildings that can be identified are the Church of St Martin and Castle Gronsveld.
Another drawing by De Grave showing a panoramic view of Gronsveld and dated 21
June 1670 is in the Historisch Centrum Limburg, Maastricht.1 De Grave also made
paintings and drawings of Italianate gardens and imaginary landscapes, mainly later in
his career, but his fame rests primarily on his topographical drawings. De Grave’s
drawings documenting Maastricht and its surroundings are especially unique.
Notes
1 See: P. Scheele, Josua de Grave en Valentijn Klotz in Maastricht, Maastricht 2012, p. 25.