Circle of Andrea Locatelli, An 18th Century Arcadian Prospect

Circle Of Andrea Locatelli, Eighteenth century

An Arcadian Prospect

Oil on canvas; held in an antique carved, giltwood frame.

Listed dimensions refer to size of frame.

Andrea Locatelli first trained with his father, Giovanni Francesco, and while he also painted genre subjects, it was his views of the Italian countryside which earned him the reputation as one of the foremost painters in eighteenth century Rome.  His early works appear to be inspired by Salvator Rosa’s rocky landscapes, though by the mid-1720s his paintings are more classical in approach.  It is during this period that demand for his landscapes grew amongst the noble families of Rome as well as the Grand Tourists arriving from northern Europe. This growing demand encouraged other painters to adopt his style and manner to great effect as with this example.

This Arcadian view is typical of the type of classical landscape which was in demand. Ancient monuments and figures in the foreground under the shade of arching trees with an expansive vista including a church and lake beyond. A balance of artistic design ultimately inspired by the Roman Campagna but idealised in the hand of the artist to produce, above all, an elegant composition.