Munich Factory

Walter Shirlaw

1874

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Late 19th Century Landscape

About this work

This sketch shows bare trees lining a flooded riverbank. The branches twist sharply against a pale, misty sky. In the distance, a few small buildings peek through the trees, half-hidden by the water’s edge. The artist used quick, light lines to capture the trees’ gnarled shapes. The paper’s texture shows through, making the scene feel sketchy and alive. Next, check out Romanticism to see how artists used nature to tell bigger stories.