This type of painting, known as a 'capriccio' or invention, is characteristic of Norie senior's ideal landscapes. It has all the essential ingredients to make a picturesque scene: lush foliage, a tranquil lake, a distant mountain, a rutted track, classical ruins and figures for human interest. Norie often borrowed motifs from a variety of engraved sources. The classical ruins in this painting come from a view of the Colosseum by the Roman view painter and architect Panini. The dimensions of the painting suggest that it was designed to fit over a doorway or to be inserted into a wall.