These two shepherds conversing represent Claude's minimum quota of figures. Instead the sole subject here is the countryside around Rome, where a visitor today could still appreciate a similar view. The artist captures the light just before the sun disappears. The rocky landscape and cascades emerge from behind a grey haze, which turns blue where the land plateaus. The small bump on the horizon is the dome of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Acquired by Frederick, Prince of Wales, in 1742