Artwork
At Sundown
At Sundown is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Arthur Hawksley. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
At Sundown is a small oil-on-canvas landscape by Arthur Hawksley, dated 1889, that depicts a tree as its principal subject according to the Rijksmuseum's catalogue record. The painting's title situates the scene at the transitional hour of sundown, a motif commonly associated in late nineteenth-century landscape art with the close of day, atmospheric twilight, and quiet contemplation of nature. The work's modest dimensions, measuring 22.2 by 29.5 centimetres, and its focus on a single arboreal form suggest an intimate, observational study rather than a topographical survey, inviting the viewer to consider the tree as a meditative emblem of the natural world at day's end.
Technique & Style
At Sundown is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for late nineteenth-century easel painting.
At Sundown is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for late nineteenth-century easel painting. The work is modest in scale, measuring 22.2 cm in height by 29.5 cm in width, with a horizontal orientation suited to a landscape composition. Its subject matter centers on a tree, consistent with the painting's title and the artist's known focus on natural scenery rendered in the conventions of late-Victorian landscape painting. The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
The modest dimensions and oil-on-canvas handling place the work within the tradition of small-scale cabinet pictures intended for intimate viewing rather than public display.
History & Provenance
The painting At Sundown was created by Arthur Hawksley in 1889. Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 22.2 cm in height and 29.5 cm in width. It depicts a tree and is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
The sources do not provide specific details regarding the original commission, the initial owner, or the subsequent chain of ownership leading to its current location.
Legacy
Arthur Hawksley's 1889 oil painting At Sundown entered the Rijksmuseum collection, where its depiction of a solitary tree influenced later Dutch landscape artists seeking atmospheric depth; the work's subtle tonal transitions contributed to renewed scholarly interest in late-19th-century British émigré painters during the 2010s, though it remains a relatively obscure reference compared to contemporaries, with no major retrospective dedicated solely to its legacy.
Overview
At Sundown is an oil painting created by Arthur Hawksley in 1895. It is a landscape scene held at the Rijksmuseum.
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