NORTHERN ITALY ARTIST from the 18th century
Landscape with granzing animals
oil on canvas, cm 72×96,5
Before a wide valley, enclosed by tall mountains visible in the background and with a scattering of buildings and small villages, cows are grazing freely. Some herds are resting or walking in their vicinity. The composition is skill- fully orchestrated, with a shaded background area and a vast, more illuminated central area; its lightest shades are found in the cloudy sky.
The airy landscape beneath the Alps, something which is for instance suggested by the steep slopes in the back- ground, is probably the work of a northern artist, active in the 18th century, who ideated a merger between Arcadian elements and a realistic representation of nature.