Ariccia
- Artist: Giovanni-Battista Camuccini
- Date: about 1850
- Medium: Oil on paper laid on a plastic support
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "Ariccia" by Giovanni-Battista Camuccini, painted in the Italian north. The painting depicts a scene from a hillside in Ariccia, Italy, looking up towards a dusty track and humble stone buildings. You'll notice the peeling plaster, vines climbing the walls, and grass sprouting from rooftops. On the left, the hillside falls away abruptly into forest and thick undergrowth.
Camuccini was known for his attention to detail, and in this painting, he lavishes attention on the textures of the walls and dry foliage. If you look closely at the upper right, you'll see the hemispherical dome and belfry of the church designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini, shining in the sunlight.
The use of light and shadow creates a sense of depth and atmosphere in the painting, drawing your eye through the scene. Camuccini's use of texture and detail adds to the sense of realism, making it feel almost like you're standing there looking at the scene itself.
See it in person
Ariccia hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
