Who painted Landscape with a Fountain?

Landscape with a Fountain was painted by Benjamin Franklin Bache in 1782.

Where can I see Landscape with a Fountain?

Landscape with a Fountain is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Landscape with a Fountain?

Landscape with a Fountain is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Landscape with a Fountain

Benjamin Franklin Bache , 1782

Landscape with a Fountain is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Benjamin Franklin Bache. It dates from 1782 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower right in black ink: B Franklin fecit ce / 25 September 1782

About this work

The date on the paper, September 1782, suggests this was made during a time when artists were exploring nature’s details in new ways.

This sketch shows a quiet garden scene with a small stone fountain at its center. Water trickles from a tall urn into a shallow basin below. Bushes and a few trees frame the scene, while a low wall and a distant bridge add depth. The drawing is simple, with light lines and shading to show shapes.

The date on the paper, September 1782, suggests this was made during a time when artists were exploring nature’s details in new ways. The artist used careful strokes to capture light and texture, like the rough bark of trees or the smooth stone of the fountain.

Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with layers of lines.

Overview

Benjamin Franklin Bache’s drawing titled Landscape with a Fountain, executed in graphite, pen, and black ink on laid paper, dates to September 1782. The work presents a modest garden setting centered on a stone fountain, where water flows from an upright urn into a shallow basin. Framed by modest vegetation, a low wall and a distant bridge, the composition conveys a tranquil, ordered outdoor space.

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures a quiet, cultivated landscape, emphasizing the interplay between natural elements and human-made structures. The fountain serves as a focal point, suggesting both utility and aesthetic pleasure, while the surrounding trees and shrubs frame the view, inviting contemplation of the harmony between cultivated garden and the broader environment.

Technique & Style

Bache employs delicate graphite lines combined with pen and ink to delineate form and texture. Cross‑hatching builds subtle shadows, rendering the rough bark of trees and the smooth stone of the fountain. The light, restrained handwork reflects an 18th‑century interest in precise observation of nature, using minimal tonal variation to suggest depth.

History & Provenance

The drawing bears the date September 1782, placing it in the post‑Revolutionary period when American artists were increasingly attentive to detailed landscape studies. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work remains attributed to Bache, a noted Philadelphia printer and artist, and is preserved as an example of his early drawing practice.

Context

Created during a time when American visual culture was shifting toward empirical representation of the natural world, the drawing aligns with contemporary European trends in topographical sketching. Its modest scale and focus on a private garden reflect the growing appreciation for domestic landscapes as subjects worthy of artistic attention.