Decorative painting for Kedleston Hall

The composition depicts a sunlit outdoor setting populated by elegantly dressed figures in loose white and blue garments. Two women recline on the grass while others stand near a modest building, their bright clothing—pinks, greens and whites—contrasting with the surrounding shade. The scene conveys a leisurely, almost idyllic atmosphere, reflecting the fashionable taste for classical, pastoral themes in mid‑eighteenth‑century interior decoration.

Brunias attempted to reproduce the appearance of fresco on canvas, using an experimental medium that mimicked the matte, wall‑bound quality of true fresco. Although the approach achieved a vivid, luminous palette, the technique proved unstable; the paint began to deteriorate soon after installation, leading to a loss of surface integrity and colour saturation.

The panels were installed in Kedleston Hall in 1761, but by 1766 the Duchess of Northumberland criticized their execution, noting their rapid decline. The works were subsequently removed from the walls and the Breakfast Room was redecorated. After leaving Britain, Brunias relocated to the Lesser Antilles in 1764, where he continued to produce paintings for patrons such as Sir William Young.

The commission reflects Robert Adam’s practice of integrating architecture, ornament, and painting to create unified interiors. Brunias’s classical training at Rome’s Accademia di San Luca informed the composition, which shares formal similarities with his later Caribbean scenes that idealised colonial life while masking its harsher realities.