Gainsborough, Thomas (1727-1788)
Woody Landscape
c.1783–1784
Oil on canvas, 64 x 76.8 cm
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
Although most famous for his portraits, Gainsborough was also one of the originators of English landscape painting in the eighteenth century. Inspired by Dutch landscapes from the previous century, he created idealized views of his native Suffolk, as exemplified in this work. The silvery light that breaks through the clouds, the intertwined foliage in muted colors, and the feathery brushwork all combine to fashion a nostalgic dream world of harmonious relationships between man and nature. (WA)