Italian Scene

William Tolman Carlton, Italian Scene, 1860, oil on canvas mounted on fiberglass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Stuart P. Feld, 1974.114
Copied William Tolman Carlton, Italian Scene, 1860, oil on canvas mounted on fiberglass, 29 1436 in. (74.391.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Stuart P. Feld, 1974.114
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Italian Scene
Date
1860
Dimensions
29 1436 in. (74.391.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Stuart P. Feld
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas mounted on fiberglass
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure group
  • Monument — fountain
  • Occupation — domestic — water carrier
  • Landscape — Italy
  • Occupation — religion — monk
  • Architecture Exterior — domestic — house
  • Architecture Exterior — religious — church
Object Number
1974.114

Artwork Description

Italian Scene shows a young woman gathering water while her friend sits on the riverbank spinning yarn. This quaint scene of Italian life suggests that, like many other nineteenth-century artists, William Tolman Carlton traveled to Italy to study and paint. Images like this, of “exotic” people and ancient monuments, were popular with American artists and tourists in Europe.