Small Night Scene

The subject
The simplicity of the Roman countryside was the principal subject for a Vedutist movement of which the Roman painter, Paolo Anesi, was a great master. The composition is very simple yet still descriptive. The two trees in the centre appear to divide the composition in two, creating two levels of observation: the foreground shows a mule and two peasants leaning over a fallen tree trunk, most likely searching for firewood, while the background depicts a boat of fishermen on a river, stopping to gather their nets.

The painting
The special element in this piece is the twilight setting portrayed by the artist. Considered virtuosic and highly intimate, night scenes were not widely popular. Many artists avoided them, fearing they would cause a decrease in sales in view of their highly particular subject matter. Nevertheless, the style still managed to carve out and maintain a niche of admirers among collectors.