Landscape in the Roman Campagna

Each element of this idyllic landscape is balanced and measured. The dark mountains are countered by the bright sky and a distant body of water on the horizon, while the sunlit foreground contrasts with the deep shadows of the leafy valley beyond. Framed between the trees, two figures rest in the sun, one holding a lyre and one dressed in a red tunic, suggesting a classical setting. A herd of cows is scattered through the valley, the warm colouring of each animal creating a stepping-stone effect that leads the eye through the painting. While all is calm, the looming clouds above the craggy mountain peak hint at possible drama to come. 

This type of landscape, which recalls the light and serenity of the Italian countryside, or campagna, was developed by French artists Claude Lorrain (1604-82) and Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) while living and working in Rome. While Lorrain specialised in combining harmonious colour and atmospheric effects, Poussin created balanced compositions with mythical or classical elements. These influences are visible in this landscape, which is a smaller copy of an original painting by Gaspard Dughet (1615-75). Dughet was another French artist also working in Rome alongside Poussin, even sharing a studio with the older artist early in his career. While the classical figures here recall Poussin’s influence, the landscape is carefully considered, based on the countryside near Tivoli that Dughet sketched and used for many of his compositions.