Italian Scene

William Tolman Carlton, born Boston, MA 1816-died Dorchester, MA 1888 · 1860

Italian Scene shows a young woman gathering water while her friend sits on the riverbank spinning yarn. This quaint scene of Italian life suggests that, like many other nineteenth-century artists, William Tolman Carlton traveled to Italy to study and paint. Images like this, of “exotic” people and ancient monuments, were popular with American artists and tourists in Europe.