Jean-Achille Benouville

Though born and trained in Paris, Jean-Achille Benouville spent much of his career in Italy painting landscapes en plein air.  Benouville made two brief trips to the country after winning the second prize in the Prix de Rome in 1837, but it was his third trip, taken alongside Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot in 1843, which would be the most formative. Indeed, the two artists shared an apartment in Rome and Corot himself painted a nearly identical view to the present painting.¹ Benouville was greatly influenced by Corot's landscape painting technique and absorbed his delicate sensitivity to light, fluid use of colors, and careful compositional approach. 

Benouville returned to France and after winning first prize in the Prix de Rome in 1845 was able to justify a longer, state-sponsored trip to Italy; he would remain there (with a few short trips back to France) until after the death of his second wife in 1870. 

1. Now in the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, Buenos Aires. See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Jean_Baptiste_Camille_Corot_-_Vista_del_Castel_Sant%27Angelo.jpg