Wooded Landscape 1650

Salvator Rosa painted ‘Wooded Landscape’ sometime during his career in seventeenth-century Italy. His work often reflects the influence of the political turmoil and social unrest of the time. Rosa was known for his rebellious spirit and sympathy for the lower classes. In this painting, Rosa departs from the idealized, harmonious landscapes that were popular at the time. Instead, he presents a more rugged and untamed view of nature, populated by shepherds, livestock, and bandits. The presence of these figures invites us to consider the social realities of the time. How might their identities have been shaped by class, gender, and their relationship to the land? The romanticized view of pastoral life is complicated by the hard realities of poverty and danger. Rosa once said, “I paint with fury, and I cannot help but express my inner turmoil in my art." Through this lens, we can see ‘Wooded Landscape’ not just as a depiction of nature, but as a reflection of the complex social and political landscape of seventeenth-century Italy.