Artwork
The Haunted House
The Haunted House is an unspecified painting by the American Folk Art artist Louis Eilshemius. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
While the title assigns a supernatural narrative to the structure, the visual iconography remains rooted in these tangible rural elements.
Created in 1917 by Louis Eilshemius, this landscape painting presents a scene containing a house, a tree, and a road. While the title assigns a supernatural narrative to the structure, the visual iconography remains rooted in these tangible rural elements. The work functions primarily as a landscape genre piece, depicting a specific outdoor environment rather than illustrating explicit symbolic figures or complex allegorical meanings beyond the atmospheric implication of its name. The composition focuses on the arrangement of these natural and architectural forms within the depicted setting.
History & Provenance
The Haunted House is a 1917 oil painting by Louis Michel Eilshemius, recorded as a landscape portraying a house, a tree, and a road. Measuring 76.2 cm by 101 cm, the work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection in New York. Although the title assigns a supernatural narrative to the structure, the painting is catalogued straightforwardly as a landscape.
A specific accession or inventory number is not provided in the available documentation, and the work has not been identified as having been included in any documented exhibitions according to the sources consulted.
Overview
Louis Eilshemius, an American painter, created The Haunted House in 1917. This oil painting, categorized within American folk art, presents a landscape featuring a solitary house. The work is characterized by its serene yet subtly somber atmosphere, drawing viewers into a quiet, contemplative scene.
It is currently housed in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a facet of early 20th-century American art.
Technique & Style
Eilshemius utilized smooth brushstrokes to render the elements of the landscape, contributing to the painting's tranquil effect. His deliberate application of color and light guides the viewer's attention to the house and its surroundings, fostering a sense of calmness. The work's classification as American folk art often implies a direct, unadorned approach to composition and subject matter, emphasizing narrative or emotional content.
Context
Louis Eilshemius was a versatile American artist, known for his landscapes and nudes, who also pursued writing and music. The Haunted House exemplifies his interest in landscape painting, a recurring theme throughout his career. Created in 1917, it aligns with the broader movement of American folk art, which often celebrates individual expression and a less academic style of representation.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Louis Michel Eilshemius (February 4, 1864 – December 29, 1941) was an American painter, primarily of landscapes and nudes. He also wrote musical compositions, verse, novels, short stories, and published periodicals.
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