Georgian Classical Landscape Painting Oil on Panel

This is a very charming romantic landscape. It dates to the late Georgian period, the early 19th Century, and is painted in oil on a panel of dark mahogany. The artist has imaginatively created a painting full of interest for the viewer. It features a Mediterranean (Italianate?) landscape and may have been painted for travellers enjoying the 'Grand Tour'. The scene is set within a valley, nicely framed with woodland trees and mountains, and has a wide river meandering to its estuary in the distance. There are two focal points which catch the eye, .. a young couple on the river bank with their playful dog, and a beautifully dressed oriental couple on the far side of the river. The composition features a range of architectural elements, .. a ruined abbey in the foreground, an ancient temple on the hill, arched bridges spanning the river, and 2 villages silhouetted in the distance on either bank.