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Tree and Foliage

Walter Shirlaw

1873

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Landscape

Dominant colour

Tree and Foliage is a 1873 graphite by Walter Shirlaw, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Walter Shirlaw
When & what style?: 1873 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a tangled forest scene with thick trees and rough bark. The lines are loose and quick, almost like scribbles, but still show the shapes of branches and leaves. Shadows fill the gaps between trunks, making the woods feel dark and dense. The artist used just graphite on paper, so there’s no color—only different shades of gray. That makes the trees look gnarled and real, like they’re growing wild. If you like this sketchy style, look up Realism next.