Monte Circeo at Sunset c. 1780s

"Monte Circeo at Sunset" is a watercolor painting by John Robert Cozens, created in the 1780s. Cozens is known for his romantic landscapes characterized by atmospheric effects and a sense of sublime grandeur. This particular work showcases the artist's mastery of light and shadow, evoking a dramatic sunset over the Italian landscape. The distant mountain, Monte Circeo, rises majestically against a hazy sky, while a group of figures in the foreground adds a touch of human scale to the expansive vista. Cozens' work was influenced by the 18th-century fascination with the picturesque and his paintings contributed to the development of Romanticism in art.