A Great Beech Tree at the Edge of a Wood

Adolphe Appian

1840

chalk

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Landscape

About this work

This sketch shows a big tree with thick branches and a rough trunk standing near a field. The ground is patchy with grass and shadows, and a small building peeks out in the distance. The lines are scratchy, almost like a quick drawing, with light gray and dark brown tones. The artist used chalk and wash to make the scene feel rough and natural. The tree’s roots and branches look tangled, like real branches would in nature. Next, look up Romanticism to see how artists used nature to express big emotions.