The grounds of the Casale di Santa Maria Nova outside Rome are still part of an extensive archaeological park. The view looks south-east over the Via Appia towards the Alban Hills. The remains of centuries are scattered to the right and left of the road, giving the picture an elegiac atmosphere. Franz Nadorp stayed in Rome for the rest of his life after his youthful trip to Italy and played a major role in the social life of foreign artists. Here he sits on the left by the roadside, leaning against a gravestone, wearing a hat next to a headless statue. Behind him graze the famous buffaloes of the Campagna.