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Gaspard Dughet, 'View of the Roman Countryside, possibly Tivoli', about 1670

About the work

Overview

A wild, mountainous landscape stretches out before us, with sharp snowy peaks silhouetted against the sky. In the middle distance, just beyond the rushing waterfall, a town – complete with campanile (bell towers) and classical buildings – perches on a hilltop. In the foreground, a handful of figures and two dogs rest beside the dusty path that weaves through the landscape.

Gaspard Dughet may have intended this to be a view of Tivoli, a hillside town about 20 miles north-east of Rome. It was visited by generations of artists who came to paint the town’s classical buildings, as well as the terraced gardens of the nearby Villa d’Este. Another painting by Dughet, in which some of Tivoli’s buildings appear in an imaginary landscape, is also in the National Gallery’s collection.

This painting’s dimensions are unusual, the canvas being twice as wide as it is tall. It may once have been part of a decorative scheme, probably intended to hang above a doorway.

Key facts

Details

Full title
View of the Roman Countryside, possibly Tivoli
Artist dates
1615 - 1675
Date made
about 1670
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
71.1 × 166.9 cm
Acquisition credit
Bequeathed by Lord Farnborough, 1838
Inventory number
NG161
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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