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Sunlit Trees in a Valley near Lacoux

Jean-Paul Flandrin

1840

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Landscape

Dominant colour

Sunlit Trees in a Valley near Lacoux is a 1840 graphite by Jean-Paul Flandrin, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Jean-Paul Flandrin
When & what style?: 1840 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a quiet valley with rolling hills and scattered trees. The artist used soft lines and shading to show light hitting the leaves and ground. The background is a pale blue paper, and the edges have thin strips of a slightly different blue. The paper looks worn, like it’s been handled a lot over time. The artist used white chalk to brighten parts of the trees, making them stand out against the hills. Next, look up Romanticism to see how this style often focused on nature’s drama.