1654
oil
canvas
From the collection of Ashmolean Museum
Landscape with a cleft Tree is a 1654 oil by Salvator Rosa, a Barbizon school work, held at Ashmolean Museum.
This painting shows a large tree with a cleft in its trunk, standing alone in a landscape. The tree's branches stretch up towards the sky, and its roots grow out of the ground. In the background, there are hills and a cloudy sky. The painting is done in oil paint, and the colors are muted and earthy. The artist has used chiaroscuro to create a sense of depth and contrast in the painting. The overall effect is one of quiet contemplation. If you're interested in learning more about the artist who created this painting, you might want to look up Salvator Rosa.
Salvator Rosa (1615 – 15 March 1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticised landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th century.
See the richer artist page
