This painting, attributed to William Theed, represents a Grand Tour that I would readily embark on, replete with breathtaking panoramas and adorable spaniels. Is it overly idyllic? Perhaps! However, it offers a brief snapshot of the type of exploration documented in Itinera and this makes it all the more exquisite.
According to the account:
Rome Seen on a Grand Tour, attributed to John Frearson (c. 1792-1831), who set out for Italy with the painter William Theed in 1790 but travelled from Florence to Rome alone later that year when Theed was recalled to England. Frearson stayed mostly in Rome, but also visited Naples and Venice before returning to England in 1766. This picture captures the fascination with the light of the South seen in many paintings, as well as the closeness between city and countryside.
-Italy and the Grand Tour, Jeremy Black, Yale University Press: 2003 page 48