Visual Description

This painting is horizontal in format, approximately two feet high and three feet wide. The painting shows a man walking along a road that leads to an arched bridge. In the foreground on the left side of the canvas the man advances toward the viewer up a hill along a pathway that is edged by a low wall. He is wrapped in a knee-length, brown cloak and wears a wide-brimmed hat that casts a shadow on his face. He holds a cane that is partially concealed by his cape. Behind the man a burro and other figures with animals are traveling the same path. On the left in the middle distance are high stone towers showing the edge of the city. Stretching across the middle of the canvas is a large arched stone bridge spanning a gorge with a river of blue water flowing underneath. The artist who painted this work is best known for his use of color to indicate light and shadow. Strong sunlight falls across the foreground and middle ground casting a warm yellow glow across the stone structures. Diagonal shadows in shades of violet fall across the gorge and along the wall leading down the pathway. In the background the river flows away and to the right and is bordered by green trees, buildings and small houses. In the far distance, a low hill painted in various shades of orange, green and gray rises to a small area of purple and gray overcast sky at the top of the canvas. Evidence of the artist’s hand is clear throughout the painting in his use of loose, painterly brushstrokes.