Label Copy: In 1825, Corot made the first of three trips to Italy. The limpid clarity of the light in Italy and the play of that light across the features of ancient monuments were the subject of a number of paintings he executed in Rome. Even when sketching in the surrounding countryside, rendering the quality of light remained a critical feature of Corot’s work, as can be seen in this fresh pencil drawing. Instead of focusing on the underlying geometry of Roman ruins, he employs shadow to sculpt the uneven terrain. Corot’s lyrical landscapes had a profound effect on the evolution of landscape painting in France in the nineteenth century.