Rosa Da Tivoli, Pastoral Scene in the Roman Countryside, Late 17th Century, Oil Painting

An important and evocative pastoral scene in oil on canvas,set among the hills of the Roman countryside, attributed to Philipp Peter Roos, one of the most celebrated painters of Baroque pastoral landscapes active in Rome during the 17th century. The composition presents a rich and complex narrative: on the left, amid the ruins of an ancient Roman temple, several beggarsare busy cooking around a fire; a little further on, a shepherd converses with two women, while in the center other travelers chat with a female figure riding a donkey. In the foreground, on the right, a flock of sheep and goats is enlivened by the presence of a black-and-white dog that disturbs their tranquility. The entire scene unfolds within a lushand wild natural setting, opening up into the distance toward a vasthilly landscape, dotted with a village and mountainous ridges crowned by fortifications, in keeping with the typical compositional style that characterizes the great Nordic landscape painting in Rome. The work displays remarkable painterly quality, with a fluid and confident application of paint, lively brushwork, and particular attention to the naturalistic rendering of the animals, figures, and atmospheric effects. The play of light, featuring warm golden-brown tonesand blue-tinged openings in the background, directly echoes the style of Rosada Tivoli, a master renowned for his rural scenes populated by flocks, shepherds, and ancient ruins.
Dimensions:
93 x 151 (with frame)
77 x 135 (without frame)