Henryk Siemiradzki's painting 'Landscape with Ancient Figures' depicts an idyllic, bucolic view reminiscent of scenes of life in antiquity. In the centre of the composition is a group of people resting in the shade of a large tree by a stone wall with an icon, which may suggest a location in the Mediterranean, perhaps Greece or the former Roman Empire.

In the foreground, we see two people: a man seated on a stone bench and a man lying beside him, who appears to be immersed in reading or writing. Their clothes are loose and light, in keeping with the fashion of the ancient period. The colours of their clothes are subdued, harmonising with the natural surroundings. The red cap of one of the figures adds an accent of colour to the scene.

The background of the painting is picturesque, with gentle hills in the distance that transition into a subtly painted sky. The trees around them have a delicate, almost ethereal texture of leaves and branches, which adds a lightness to the composition. The scene gives the impression of being calm and harmonious, with people and nature coexisting seamlessly.

Characteristic of Siemiradzki is his masterful use of light, which accentuates and models the figures and the surrounding landscape. The light illuminates the scenery, creating a sense of depth and space. He also uses fine tonal transitions, which gives his work a softness and realism.

As an academic painter, Siemiradzki was renowned for the detail and realism in his work. Here, although the scene appears to be painted more freely, he still draws attention to the anatomical precision of the figures and the realistic rendering of the landscape. The painting as a whole captures the spirit of the era to which the artist refers, with nostalgia for classical harmony and beauty.

oil, canvas, 49.5 x 64.5 cm, inv. no. MG-144, Nacionalni muzej moderne umjetnosti, Zagreb