Artwork
Trees on a Rocky Hillside
Trees on a Rocky Hillside is an oil painting by Asher Brown Durand. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a rugged terrain composed of prominent rocks and cliffs, interspersed with trees set against a visible sky.
The subject of Asher Brown Durand's 1849 oil painting, Trees on a Rocky Hillside, is a naturalistic landscape featuring specific geological and botanical elements. The work depicts a rugged terrain composed of prominent rocks and cliffs, interspersed with trees set against a visible sky. As a landscape genre piece, the composition focuses on the raw physical characteristics of the American environment, presenting a rocky hillside scene without narrative figures or allegorical storytelling.
The imagery centers on the interplay between the enduring stone formations and the organic growth of the trees, capturing a direct observation of nature's structure and texture. This depiction aligns with the artist's known focus on realistic renderings of the natural world, emphasizing the specific visual components of sky, rock, and vegetation found in the United States.
Technique & Style
Created in 1849, Trees on a Rocky Hillside is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 42.5 cm in height and 61.3 cm in width. As a landscape genre piece, the composition formally depicts natural elements including sky, rock formations, trees, and cliffs.
The medium of oil paint allows for the rendering of these specific topographical features and vegetation within the American setting. The physical handling of the paint on the canvas creates the visual texture associated with the rocky terrain and arboreal subjects characteristic of the artist's landscape style during this period.
History & Provenance
Trees on a Rocky Hillside is an oil-on-canvas landscape painting created by Asher Brown Durand in 1849. The work depicts natural elements including trees, rocks, cliffs, and sky, originating from the United States. It is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1968.21.
The painting measures 42.5 centimeters in height and 61.3 centimeters in width. While the specific commission details and full ownership chain prior to the museum's acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's creation is firmly dated to 1849, reflecting Durand's engagement with American landscape subjects during that period.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Trees on a Rocky Hillside, depicts a natural landscape characterized by rugged terrain and prominent arboreal forms. The work captures a moment of quietude, inviting contemplation of the wilderness. Through its composition and rendering, the piece emphasizes the inherent beauty and serene presence of the natural world, presented without human intervention.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Asher Brown Durand spent his life in the rolling hills of New Jersey, where the forests and farmland shaped his quiet, deliberate way of seeing.
- Trees on a Rocky Hillside
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