Two riders seek directions from a trio of peasants who point to the sunlit valley beyond.The painting is notable for its picturesque motifs: The sinewy twisting trunks of the trees and the trailing ivy growing on them, the curious rock formations, and the heavy-leafed plants languishing in the foreground. The golden evening light is exploited to create interesting juxtapositions of light and dark areas.
This landscape was one of some fifteen paintings made by Rosa for Prince Giovan Carlo de' Medici, a collector and patron of the arts who invited him to Florence in 1640. It was probably painted the following year.
