Throughout his career as a painter, Edward Cooke travelled extensively in Europe, visiting France, Holland, Italy, Spain, North Africa and Scandinavia. Paintings and drawings resulted from all his travels, but it is evident that the places that provided the strongest fascination for him besides the southern coastline of England were the beaches and estuaries of Holland and the topography of Venice and Italy.

This pencil drawing, dated 17 March 1846, was made during his first Mediterranean tour of 1845–46, when he travelled through the south of France, to Florence, Rome, Salerno and Capri. Inscribed ‘From the steps of the church of S. Pietro in Vincoli’, it is an extensive view across the rooftops of the city towards the Capitol with the church of San Luca in the middle distance. San Pietro in Vincoli, an important early Christian site, houses Michelangelo’s statue of Moses.