Spode earthenware Dinner Plate under glaze blue printed with a design known as the 'Bridge of Lucano' or simply 'Lucano'. This design was probably inspired by an engraving titled, 'Vue de Tombeau de Plautius' executed by Georg Abraham Hackert after Philipp Jakob Hackert c1780. The British Museum has a print but unfortunately its online record does not have an accompanying photograph & it is not on display in the museum. An image can be seen at Artnet here: http://www.artnet.com/artists/george-hackert/2-bll-ansichten-von-tivoli-after-philipp-jakob-PJDhsM8jILvTifYP7yk_Yw2
Also in more detail here: https://caseantiques.com/item/lot-368-pair-of-colored-engravings-after-phillippe-hackert/ Scroll down on their website for a detailed view.
The central scene is also similar to an aquatint engraving of the Bridge of Lucano near Tivoli to the east of Rome which appeared in James Merigot's, 'A Select Collection of Views & Ruins in Rome & its Vicinity - Executed from Drawings Made Upon the Spot in the Year 1791', published 1798. The tower is the tomb of Plautius Lucanus built in the 1st century AD. Merigot's print can be seen at the Spode Exhibition Online here (please ignore the slightly worrying 'This page requires AC_RunActiveContent' & just press 'Close' & the website will pop up - it's not a great welcome but is a fine website regardless):
Merigot was a landscape artist and master drawing teacher in Paris in 1772. He moved to London sometime after 1791 and established himself as a drawing master and publisher of aquatint etchings that appeared in numerous British publications of the period. In 1816 his 'The Amateur's Portfolio', or the 'New Drawing Magazine' became an inspiration for a new generation of British and Continental artists. He taught the already accomplished artist Augustus Charles Pugin, and later his son, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, who went on to become the designer of the Houses of Parliament, London.
It would seem that Merigot was in London & influencing people c1816, Josiah Spode II introduced this design c1819 but interestingly he sought out the earlier, more pleasing version of this image, produced by Georg Hackert.
This scenic view of cattle herders, possibly a husband & wife, taking their cattle to market or pastures new is surrounded by a border composed of the main Italian crops, wheat for pasta, vines for red wine & olives for oil & cooking. The plate is of the New Indented shape introduced c1805 and measures 25cm or 9.75 inches in diameter.
Sadly this important Roman road from Rome to Tivoli & ancient location was once very picturesque but has now been spoilt by industrial development; there are travertine quarries nearby & recent construction measures to prevent flooding & what looks like a power station are sited extremely close to the ancient monument blighting it. Romantics may never recover if they search google maps for Ponte Lucano - it's really best not to!
This Spode Dinner Plate is marked to its base with an impressed 'SPODE' & the number '27' together with a blue printed 'SPODE' & a worker's mark. The base of this plate shows its age & you can see that it has been well used over its lifetime (Happy 200th Birthday this year 2019) but the front is almost as lovely as the day it was made - just one scratch above the tower. Notice there is no foot rim to this plate.