A Brief History of

Landscape Painting

Albert Bierstadt, “Mountain Scene,” 1879

Landscape Painting in Ancient Times

-Landscape painting has been around since ancient times-Greeks/Romans did wall paintings: depicted landscapes/gardenscapes

-This is a Minoan wall painting- what do we see in this landscape painting?

*Minoan = Ancient Greek civilization (Aegean Bronze Age)- Island of Crete

Landscape Fades into the Background(Literally)

Masaccio, “The Tribute Money,” fresco painting

-After the fall of the Roman Empire, pure landscape painting gets put on the back burner- for a while, landscapes were only used as background for religious/figural scenes-However, Landscape played an important role in the discovery of linear perspective: creating the illusion of objects and aspects of the environment receding into the distance.

Artistic Shift: The Landscape Begins to Reemerge

-Renaissance: artists begin to focus more on the landscape because of increased interest in the natural world.

-Landscape aids in the perfection of Atmospheric Perspective: creating illusion of depth through fading things that are further away form the viewer.

-Still, pure landscape painting in not the main focus at this time.

The Rise of the Landscape-Early 1500s in the Netherlands: landscape painting becomes very popular.

-”Landscape” derives from the Dutch word landschap- “a picture depicting scenery on land.”

-The emerging Protestant middle class wanted art for their homes: landscape painting met their aesthetic and financial needs.

-Landscapes made at this time mark a shift in who art can be made for- not just wealthy patrons anymore! (Accessibility)

Jacob van Ruisdeal,“Landscape With Castle Ruins and Church”

Classical Landscape-1600s: classical landscape painting emerges-looking back to landscapes made during classical antiquity

-Very contrived: everything present in a classical landscape has its place- goal is to create a very balanced and harmonious composition.

-Artists like Poussin worked hard at elevating the status of landscape painting.

Nicolas Poussin,“Landscape with a Calm,”

1650-51

The Hudson River School-1850s: a group of New York-based landscape artists under the direction of Thomas Cole.

-These painters were heavily influenced by Romanticism.(Can you see it? Similarities between Romantic portraits and landscapes)

Thomas Cole

-Work made by these artists embodied the then major themes of expansion in America: emphasis on discovery, exploration, settlement.

-Notion of peaceful coexistence between human beings and nature also being pushed.

Albert Bierstadt

Impressionism: Landscape as a Fleeting Moment

-Impressionism: landscapes depicted as they are during fleeting moments-Plein-air: French for “in the open air”- actively painting outdoors -Focus on painting very quickly

Nature & Emotion:Van Gogh and the Landscape

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-conveys the character & emotion of a space through palette and paint application.-Wheat Field Landscape Series: exploring life & death cycles in nature.-For Van Gogh, landscapes are about celebrating nature and the people who positively interact with it.-Not just about painting a space- these are spaces that have significance to him.-Critique of industrialism.

Think about the reasons one would render a landscape…

What might play a role in deciding what space you will explore in your landscape painting?

On a new page in your sketchbook, write down and answer the following questions for Thursday (4/23):

-What is an outdoor space that you find aesthetically pleasing?

-What is an outdoor space that you find interesting?

-What is an outdoor space that you have a personal connection with?