In the summer of 1822, Karl Brullov visited Europe to study the best examples of classical painting art. Titian was the artist whose style appealed greatly to the young painter. Inspired by his works, Karl Brullov started to paint outdoors trying to convey the combination of light and shadow in his paintings.

He created a poetic image of a peasant, an ordinary Italian woman, depicted, for example, in the painting Italian Woman near the Pool. The picture is an example of romantic painting. Unlike the academic traditions following the classical ideals of ancient Greek art, this painting celebrates the beauty of a real person and the depth of genuine emotions. Landscape was also of great importance for Karl Brullov. He loved and highly appreciated beautiful Italian nature and believed that humans and nature could coexist in harmony.

Karl Brullov painted Italian Woman near the Pool in 1844 when he was working on the plafond of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. However, the painting can easily be included in the series of his genre paintings created during his stay in Italy in 1820-1830. The painting also reveals Brullov´s careful attention to the individual traits and the personality of that Italian peasant woman.

The painting is in line with Italian Morning (1823, Winter Palace of the Queen of Württemberg) and Italian Midday (1827, Russian Museum), Brullov’s two most famous Italian works. Nicholas I and his spouse Alexandra Fiodorovna were so fascinated by Italian Morning that the Emperor of Russia rewarded Karl Brullov with a diamond ring and ordered him another painting to match.