Idealized View Of Italy – Return From The Grand Tour, 19th Century (circa 1810)

This landscape painting, typical of souvenirs brought back from the Grand Tour in Italy, represents an idealized view of the Italian countryside. It combines classical architecture, abundant nature and balanced composition in a neoclassical spirit. On the banks of a winding river, we can see buildings resembling Roman villas and some elements evoking an acropolis or a fortified city on high ground. The golden light, the modeled clouds and the arrangement of the trees testify to an influence of the historical landscape as it was studied and appreciated by traveling artists at the beginning of the 19th century. Canvas mounted on a panel formerly intended to be embedded (cut-out shape typical of woodwork or over-doors