The Roman landscape in the time of Šubič’s visit to the city (1874–1876) was full of relics from bygone eras, which according to popular opinion lent a heroic gravitas to the city’s image. Šubič regularly ogled the ancient monuments, leading to the production of several oil sketches of the Roman skyline, with its seven hills and famed pines and other vegetation.

Šubič fleshed out his scene with the torso of an ancient statue, spiritually linking his work to centuries past in a striking contrast of color between the dark foliage and the brilliantly blue sky. The freshest, most personal, and most direct works are Šubič’s Roman studies, where he unfettered himself from the shackles of academic rules and let himself go with the flow. The resulting work is so different from the rest of his Roman etudes in terms of colors used and method of production, the painting’s authorship has come into question.