Salvator Rosa, Landscape with Travellers asking the Way

In a gloomy forest, two riders pause to get directions from a group of peasants resting at the side of the road. The man on the white horse points towards the sunlit valley beyond, mirroring the gesture of one of the seated figures. A shaft of warm evening light cuts through the dense canopy of trees and falls on the figures, their red and blue outfits standing out against the rich, earthy tones of their surroundings. In the middle distance, two shadowed figures are set against the glowing landscape.

In 1640 Rosa was invited to Florence by Prince Gian Carlo de' Medici, brother of Ferdinand II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. This is one of fifteen landscapes painted by Rosa for the prince during the 1640s. With its golden light and band of travellers on the road, this composition shares qualities with the Italianate landscapes of the Dutch artist Jan Both, who worked in Rome from about 1635 to 1641. The peaceful setting sun in the distance is equally reminiscent of Claude, whose paintings Rosa had previously seen in Rome (there are several examples of works by Claude painted around the same period in our collection, including Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah and Landscape with Narcissus and Echo).

In spite of these influences, the scene is imbued with Rosa’s unique approach to landscape painting. The wide vistas and balanced compositions of Claude’s landscapes are replaced here with towering trees and a sinuous path that leads our eye through the picture. The twisting tree trunks, curious rock formations and variety of plants growing in the foreground are typical of the picturesque details that characterise Rosa’s landscapes. During his time in Florence, Rosa spent time in the rocky countryside around Volterra in northern Tuscany, where he produced detailed studies of crags, plains, mountains and waterfalls. He combined these studies with the power of his imagination to produce wild, dramatic scenes in which the natural world is imbued with meaning and power.

From 1649 Rosa settled in Rome, where he remained for the rest of his career. He wished for greater artistic freedom than was available at the Medici court and, inspired by a circle of distinguished individuals, he began to paint increasingly learned subjects taken from ancient history and philosophy, such as Landscape with Mercury and the Dishonest Woodman.