Landscape with Fishermen and Washerwomen

Sebastiano’s nephew and regular collaborator, Marco, is an important figure in the development of landscape painting. Generally within the classical tradition of Carracci and Domenichino, he built upon the more moody and textured interpretations of it in the second half of the 17th century, while bringing to bear the luminosity of his native tradition. The result was a new style of pure landscape painting, paralleling and complementing the school’s celebrated view paintings. Marco worked in the major centers of North Italy as well as Venice, twice visited London, and affected the course of the genre across Europe. His work was an important source of picturesque landscape painting in the later 18th century. With its high viewpoint, articulated structure, heavier palette, and lively touch, this landscape recalls earlier, more subjective Baroque landscapes, like those of Salvator Rosa and Alessandro Magnasco. The particularly animated drawing and loaded brushwork in the figures have led to the probable suggestion that they were painted by Sebastiano. One should also note the picture’s exceptionally fine and fresh condition.