Italian landscape with ruins, Oil on canvas, 19th century

An 19th-century oil on canvas depicting an Italian landscape characterized by a broad view of hills and mountains in the distance and a river whose winding course stretches to the front of the painting. This background is dotted with small hamlets and villages, whose architecture can only be guessed at.In the foreground, the picture has been deliberately separated at its center by a very large tree, which divides the composition in two: on the left are the ancient ruins of an ancient temple and small human figures (two porters and a traveler on a donkey), while on the right are two high-ranking women in deep conversation and a servant who appears to be washing sheets on a stone bridge, under whose arches we can make out waterfalls.This small-format painting is full of details and references that will be interesting to decipher. It will be easy to place in an office or a large library.Dimensions unframedWidth 61 cmheight 28 cm