Landscape with Shepherd, near Villa Madama, Rome
- Artist: Roger Fry
- Date: 1891
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 362 x 464 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Landscape with Shepherd, near Villa Madama, Rome” by Roger Fry. Painted in 1891 on his very first trip to Italy, the canvas captures a sunny afternoon just outside the historic villa. Fry wrote in a letter that he was sketching a line of bare trees turning bright red in the late‑day sun, with the distant Appennines rising behind a clear blue sky. In the foreground a tranquil pool reflects the scene, surrounded by a flock of sheep and a young shepherd walking nearby.
What makes this painting special is Fry’s playful observation of the small details. While working he was distracted by the croaking frogs in the pond, yet he found pleasure in the company of a “dear little green lizard” that lingered beside the water. The scene is rendered in lively oil, with warm reds and deep greens that convey the Mediterranean light. The composition balances the pastoral calm with the subtle energy of the natural world, giving viewers a snapshot of rural life at Villa Madama. It’s a wonderful example of Fry’s early Italian period, where he combined keen observation with a joyful, almost whimsical tone.
See it in person
Landscape with Shepherd, near Villa Madama, Rome is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, 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.
