Rosa particularly appreciated Garfagnana, the rockiest part of the Apuan Alps in Tuscany. This landscape was long associated with robbers and mercenary soldiers which the artist included in his paintings. During the 18th century, Rosa himself became a mythical figure, a bandit of a painter who ignored all of the rules of art. His landscapes with robbers and highwaymen were popular and inspired artists like Andrea Locatelli. Romantic authors idolized him.