oil on linen, 29 x 42 cms © Fergus A Ryan, 2013 & 2021

This town in northern Lazio, in the province of Viterbo, sits above a deep ochre-walled gorge characteristic of an area that was on the route of the Grand Tour. I was based for the summer of 2013 in the nearby town of Civita Castellana while studying with master painter Israel Hershberg. This was painted from the nearby cliff-top at Chiesetta di San Michele Arcangelo in very hot conditions, and as the shadows change so rapidly I would like to have spent more than one day on site. I have recently brought the painting to a higher degree of finish in my own studio, but without significantly altering what was done en plein air. I also drew a scene in charcoal close by in the ancient town of Nepi just to the left of the farthest trees (see Drawings).