Landscape Of The Roman Countryside, Oil On Canvas, Attributed To Gaspard Dughet, 17th Century

Dimensions with frame: 110 cm height x 146 cm width Dimensions without frame: 95 cm height x 132.5 cm width Gaspard Dughet (1615–1675) was one of the most prolific landscape painters of the Baroque era. He is considered to be of French origin; although born in Rome, he was the son of French immigrants. He was the brother-in-law of Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665)—a leading figure in 17th-century French classical painting—whose influence is clearly evident in Dughet’s work. This is particularly true of his early pieces, which follow the model of classical landscape serenity championed by Poussin. Later, he expanded his scope to include more dramatic landscapes, inspired by Northern European artists such as Adam Elsheimer (1578–1610) and Paul Bril (1554–1626). He was also influenced by the French artist Claude Lorrain (1600–1682). Like Lorrain, his landscapes are rooted in the intensive study of nature—specifically the forests near Rome, and more precisely in Tivoli, where the artist owned a home. With a touch of naivety, he depicted small local villages in his paintings—places that are often easily recognizable. Locations such as Abruzzo and Ariccia appear in works held by the National Gallery in London and the Museo del Prado in Madrid. He depicted bucolic settings and landscapes that appealed greatly to the clientele of the time who commissioned these works.
He specialized in—and is rightly considered a major driving force behind—the genre of the Roman landscape. His works feature settings of great serenity, often enlivened by waterfalls, architectural elements such as ancient Roman temple ruins, or rugged terrain, all populated by small human figures that lend a sense of movement to the compositions. This painting depicts an idyllic landscape featuring waterfalls reminiscent of those at the Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli, alongside small villages—all set amidst the lush woodlands of the Roman countryside. It is a world where nature reveals its full splendor and magnificence. As a counterpoint to this natural grandeur—and in keeping with a characteristic feature of his work—small human figures are scattered across the canvas in a zigzag pattern across various planes, enjoying the pleasures nature offers, such as bathing in the waterfalls or picnicking outdoors. Gaspar Dughet’s painting exerted a significant influence on the development of British Neoclassical landscape art, and his works were highly prized by 18th-century English collectors. Major institutions—including the National Gallery in London, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and the Museo del Prado in Madrid—hold several landscapes signed by the artist that share characteristics with the oil painting discussed here.