The Bridge of Narni

Corot, who devoted his entire artistic study trip in Italy to landscape - and allegedly spent little time at all in the museums - was profoundly affected by the Roman countryside he visited in 1826. While in the town of Narni he sketched a view of the ruined bridge of Augustus over the Nera river. The following year Corot would use this oil sketch capturing his first impression for a full size composition painted in his studio, and then shown at the Salon of 1827 (now in the National Gallery, Ottawa).