My last view of Italy, looking from the Alps over Suza

In the tradition of artists at the time, John Glover made his Grand Tour of Italy in the early 1800s. This work was later completed in Tasmania from sketches.

There is a beautiful clarity of light seen in the sky and on the distant mountains, a feature characteristic of Glover’s Australian paintings, as well as earlier works painted in England. The curled branches of the tree and the looseness of the brushstrokes in the foliage is reminiscent of Glover’s Tasmanian landscapes, indicating his melding of old and new styles following his move to Australia. This painting reflects Glover’s interest in reinterpreting earlier classicised landscapes. The figures and animals in the foreground, while idyllic in their restful poses, are not idealised but instead present a typical view.