In 1849, encouraged
by the support of Cincinnati patrons, Worthington Whittredge embarked on the European travels that would profoundly shape his development as a landscape painter. After studying and working in Germany, where he became closely associated with the Düsseldorf School, Whittredge traveled to Italy in 1856, joining a circle of American expatriate artists studying and working in Rome, including Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880), and William Stanley Haseltine (1835-1900). (A.F. Janson, Worthington Whittredge, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1989, pp. 54-58) Whittredge remained in Italy until 1859, devoting much of his time to sketching the surrounding countryside, particularly the expansive Roman Campagna. The present work, painted in 1857, consummately reflects Whittredge's union of the academic principles he absorbed in Düsseldorf with his direct observation of the Italian landscape. The broad horizons, distant hills, and atmospheric light of the Italian countryside provided Whittredge with an ideal setting in which to explore tonal harmony, spatial recession, and the spiritual transcendence of nature. Ultimately, Whittredge's years spent in Italy were instrumental in establishing the distinct vocabulary and mature technical approach that he would carry with him back to America in 1859, where he would go on to become an important figure within the Hudson River School.