Treasured Landscapes

Michele Pagano (attributed)
ca. 1725

As was typical of their English counterparts, wealthy American who took “Grand Tours” of Europe often enjoyed collecting the art of earlier eras. This painting is believed to be the work of Michele Pagano, a little known artist from Naples, Italy who specialized in large scale landscapes with figures. It may have been acquired for Hampton by John and Eliza Ridgely during one of their several trips abroad between the 1830s and 1850s. The couple acquired a number of large scale European landscapes to display in the Great Hall of the mansion.

Oil on canvas. H 149.9, W 204.47 cm
Hampton National Historic Site, HAMP 873