Solitude
1818
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
1818
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
You see a man lounging on a rock by a quiet river, half-dressed like an old-time poet, with soft hills and trees behind him. Shaw painted this just after moving to America, mixing English dreamy scenes with the wild new landscapes he found. The man looks lost in thought, but the real star is the light—it feels gentle, almost like morning mist. If you like how Shaw plays with light and shadow, look up the technique called *chiaroscuro*.
