Exercise 1.3 : Establishing conventions

Looking at the conventions used in eighteenth and nineteenth century landscape paintings.

1. The Hay Wain by John Constable 1821

Firstly, I have to say that this painting (or at least a cheap copy of) used to hang above the fireplace whilst I was growing up. I had no idea what it was however I now live in Essex, and could take you to exactly to that viewpoint in Dedham.

From what I know of Constable having listened to a talk about him in Dedham, his work wasn’t exactly appreciated at the time here in Britain, however his work was well received in France. He painted rural, ‘pastoral’ scenes of his local landscape. He like to include ‘something red’ as a focal point. He lost his wife to TB. Whilst the landscapes are recognisable they are not always geographically accurate, he took some artistic license in order to create better composition creating his work through various sketches and often completing his work in his studio in London.

The colour palette is generally quite muted which gives the painting a softness. He also spent time practising skies. Constable depicted the simplicity of rural life in an idyllic way. These were poor workers who would suffer from poverty and sickness and would work very hard for their meagre living. So whilst Constable is known for his ‘realism’, there is still plenty of ‘artistic license’.

2. The Shipwreck by Joseph Mallard William Turner 1805

Depicting a calamitous shipwreck, Turner’s dramatic use of light and composition draws the eye to the bright sail. Inspired by natural phenomena, shipwrecks were a common subject matter, seen as one of the worst things humans could endure.

3. Landscape with cattle by Thomas Gainsborough 1773

Depicting an idyllic rural scene with soft light and muted warm colours. Gainsborough’s early landscape work didn’t sell well and he turned to portraits eventually increasing his fame through exhibiting portraits of famous or notorious subjects. There is foreground interest here and the eye is drawn to the mountain in the distance which is framed by the trees either side.

4. Classical landscape by George Lambert 1745

This is a purely imagined scene. Lambert never visited Italy but practiced the style of Italian classical landscape painting. Scenes like this were often used as fixed decoration in houses. Again, depicted is an idyllic scene with careful consideration to composition with the gentle light illuminating the two figures in the foreground and reflected on the lake. The colour palette is muted with a little red to draw the eye in.

5. Iceberg, Newfoundland by Frederich Edwin Church around 1850

An American artist who got to travel quite widely. Soft light that reflects off the top of the iceberg. This is a more ‘panoramic view’ with one main focal point. The colour palette is slightly different maybe because of different part of the world but muted tones all the same.

6. Peter De Wint

A little know Staffordshire artist who was friends with Constable. Another panoramic scene with muted warm tones, light catching the hills and central figures.

7. Horseman with cattle, Ullswater by John Glover

8. River scene with cows by George Baret Snr

George Barret Senior interestingly had Edmund Burke as his one of his patrons .

9. Landscape with angler

10. The Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh 1889

Van Gogh had a distinct style and the above was created towards the end of the Nineteenth century however in many respects the basic composition is similar to the earlier works mentioned here.

11. The forest at Fontainblue byTheodore Rousseau 1848

The central interest of the cows in the pond is framed by the surrounding trees.

12. The banks of the Rise by Camille Pissarro 1873

The landscape paintings of the eighteenth and nineteenth century can be characterised by their use of light, colour and composition. Many of the paintings have a focal point such as a group of people, animals, buildings or perhaps water. Often the main scene is framed with trees or rocks. The scenes tend to portray idyllic rural scenes or in contrast dramatic natural phenomenon.

1. Artble. (2019). The Hay Wain. [online] Available at: https://www.artble.com/artists/john_constable/paintings/the_hay_wain [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
2. Artble. (2019). The Shipwreck. [online] Available at: https://www.artble.com/artists/joseph_mallord_william_turner/paintings/the_shipwreck [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
3. Hoocher.com. (2019). Thomas Gainsborough. [online] Available at: https://hoocher.com/Thomas_Gainsborough/Thomas_Gainsborough.htm [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
4. Tate. (2019). ‘Classical Landscape’, George Lambert, 1745 | Tate. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lambert-classical-landscape-t00211 [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
5. Fredericedwinchurch.org. (2019). Frederic Edwin Church – The Complete Works – page 2 – fredericedwinchurch.org. [online] Available at: https://www.fredericedwinchurch.org/the-complete-works.html?q=&ps=96&pageno=2 [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
6. Bbc.co.uk. (2019). BBC – Stoke & Staffordshire – History – Local heroes: Peter De Wint. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2008/11/27/peter_de_wint_feature.shtml [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
7. Abbothall.org.uk. (2019). The Oliver Thompson Collection of British Watercolours | Abbot Hall Art Gallery. [online] Available at: https://www.abbothall.org.uk/exhibitions/oliver-thompson-collection-british-watercolours [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
8. Visual-arts-cork.com. (2019). George Barret Senior, Irish Landscape Painter: Biography, Paintings. [online] Available at: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-artists/george-barret-senior.htm [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
9. Italian School, L. (2019). Landscape with an Angler. [online] Auktionshaus Lempertz. Available at: https://www.lempertz.com/en/catalogues/lot/1027-1/29-italian-school-of-the-18th-century-1.html [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
10. Moma.org. (2019). MoMA | Vincent van Gogh. The Starry Night. 1889. [online] Available at: https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/vincent-van-gogh-the-starry-night-1889/ [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
11. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2019). Landscape painting | art. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/landscape-painting [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
12. CaptureLandscapes. (2019). 13 Landscape Photographers to Follow in 2018 – CaptureLandscapes. [online] Available at: https://www.capturelandscapes.com/landscape-photographers-to-follow-in-2018/ [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
13. Hoddinott, R. (2019). Top 10 Locations for Landscape Photography in the UK. [online] Nature TTL. Available at: https://www.naturettl.com/top-10-locations-for-landscape-photography-in-the-uk/ [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].