Karl Heffner (1849-1925) was born in Würzburg where he first studied music. He was a pupil of Adolf Stademann (1824-1895) and Adolf Heinrich Lier (1826-1882) in Munich. He travelled extensively in Germany, England, Italy and Holland, exhibited in Vienna and Munich between 1873 and 1883, and in the Royal Academy in London between 1880 and 1881.
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Heffner was one of the greatest exponents of the Munich School of Paintings led by A. Stademan and A. G. Lier who were his masters. This painting is part of group of six famous Italian views mounted together and depicts a view of Genoa situated in Liguria (Northern Italy). The city of Genoa is one of these Northern Italian cities whose structure is splitted into two sections between a higher and a lower centres (in Italian città alta and città bassa). The rpesent view shows part of the città alta, whose cliffs fall down to the sea. Although his first trip to Italy is recorded in 1883, the present sketch is dated 1880. Following the Realist technique, this work was probably executed directly after the motif in open air. It work is a fine example of Heffner's mature manner, which became broader and sketchier over the years.
