In 1817 Michallon was awarded a prize created especially for him at the insistence of his teachers. The prestigious honor allowed the young artist to spend the next two years in Italy, where he painted numerous outdoor sketches such as this one.

The falls at Tivoli were a favorite of foreign artists visiting Italy. Michallon used loose brushwork and a luminous palette to render his view of the countryside. The goatherd gazing at the famous waterfalls represents a much more informal technique and subject than the dramatic themes Michallon attempted in his larger, historical landscape paintings.

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