The artist's wife admiring the skyline of Florence with the Bargello, Badia, Forte Belvedere, Palazzo Vecchio, Duomo and Campanile, from a roof terrace on the Via dei Servi

Cromek first visited Italy in 1830, carrying a letter of introduction from Robert Henry Cheney to his mother in Rome. The Cheneys were responsible for introducing Cromek to many of the important figures and patrons in Italy, where he lived until 1848.

In the foreground the artist's wife can be seen seated beside his palette, paint-brushes, portfolios, and mahlstick.