George Inness was able to make his first trip abroad in 1851 through the support of his patron. Like many artists before him, Inness was attracted to the solemn grandeur of the Roman countryside. A Bit of the Roman Aqueduct is an example of how Inness applied Old Master traditions of composition and deeply sonorous color to his contemporary interpretation of the Italian landscape. This peaceful countryside relates to the classical conventions of landscape painting espoused by French master Claude Lorrain (1600–1682).