Artwork
Early Spring
Early Spring is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Ernest Lawson. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By isolating arboreal forms as the depicted element, Lawson emphasizes the quiet renewal associated with the season's onset.
Ernest Lawson's Early Spring (1918) depicts trees as its principal subject, rendered in oil on canvas. The painting belongs to Lawson's longstanding engagement with landscape motifs, focusing on the bare or early-budding trees that signal the seasonal transition from winter to spring. By isolating arboreal forms as the depicted element, Lawson emphasizes the quiet renewal associated with the season's onset.
The work is held in the Cleveland Museum of Art, and its modest scale (52.0 × 60.5 cm) suits an intimate, observational treatment of nature rather than a panoramic vista. Painted in the United States in 1918, the canvas reflects Lawson's post-Impressionist approach to American scenery, where the subject of trees serves as a vehicle for capturing light, atmosphere, and the subtle chromatic shifts of early spring.
Technique & Style
Early Spring is an oil painting on canvas by Ernest Lawson, executed in 1918. The work measures 52.0 cm in height by 60.5 cm in width, giving it a modestly horizontal format. Its medium is classified as oil paint, and the support is canvas, consistent with Lawson's broader painterly practice.
The composition centers on a tree as its primary depicted subject, rendered in oil on a United States-made canvas support. The painting is held in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.
History & Provenance
Early Spring was painted by Ernest Lawson in 1918, as indicated by the artist’s date on the work. The painting is oil on canvas and measures 52.0 cm in height by 60.5 cm in width. It was subsequently acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it entered the collection under accession number 1938.48.
Context
Early Spring is a 1918 oil on canvas painting by Ernest Lawson, an American artist active in the early twentieth century. Measuring 52.0 cm by 60.5 cm, the work depicts a tree and was produced in the United States. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession 1938.48.
As a painting from Lawson’s mature period, it exemplifies his interest in natural subjects and contributes to the narrative of American realism in the 1910s.
Overview
Ernest Lawson's Early Spring, painted in oil in 1918, exemplifies the artist's dedication to landscape subjects within the American Impressionist movement. This work, now part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection, captures a transitional moment in nature. Lawson, a Canadian-American painter active in the early 20th century, was known for his distinctive approach to depicting the natural world, often focusing on the subtle beauty of ordinary scenes.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ernest Lawson (March 22, 1873 – December 18, 1939) was a Canadian-American painter and exhibited his work at the Canadian Art Club and as a member of the American group The Eight, artists who formed a loose association…
