This oil painting by the Italian artist Antonio Zucchi (1726-1795) is one of four that were commissioned by Edwin Lacelles, Lord Harewood, in 1771 to be displayed in the Music Room at Harewood House in Leeds, England where it remains on display to this day. Under the direction of the architect and interior designer Robert Adam, Zucchi created a set of paintings which carry a decidedly Italian feel in both style and subject. This painting was originally entitled A View of Naples but is thought to be a generic or composite scene of a port city in Italy.
Like A Palatial Courtyard, this painting includes a brightly colored sky and brightly colored clothing against a dark background of ancient buildings and monuments. See the wonderful fountain of Neptune, the Roman god of water and the sea?
To learn more about the artist, his connection to Robert Adam and see more of his work, please visit our biography of Antonio Zucchi.