View with Two Towns and a Small Circular Temple

In a typically Mediterranean landscape of ilex, pine and shrubs, a group of people wind their way along a dirt track. A woman sits in the foreground; behind her, a flock of goats and sheep approaches. In the background are several men wearing typical costumes of the Latium region. Hamlets are dotted all around, perched up high or set on the shores of a lake, and several ancient ruins are visible.
The small canvas and its companion are examples of the classical landscapes produced in Rome in the early eighteenth century. Such small imaginary views of the Roman countryside were much in demand among travellers on the Grand Tour, while also conforming to the taste of the cultured local aristocracy. This painting contains clear references to some ancient monuments: the circular ruined temple is obviously based on the famous Temple of the Sybil at Tivoli, although taken completely out of context. The town on the left, overlooked by a domed church, is reminiscent instead of Castel Gandolfo or one of the many villages scattered in the neighbourhood of the Papal residence. The care with which the vegetation is depicted recalls the landscapes of Claude Lorrain, but with the added attention to detail typical of the Northern European tradition in painting.