Artwork
Landscape in Suffolk
Landscape in Suffolk is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Thomas Gainsborough. It dates from 1748 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays the rural scenery of Suffolk, capturing its gently rolling fields and distant horizons to convey a sense of pastoral tranquility. This depiction reflects the artist’s interest in the natural landscape and his ability to render it with both topographical accuracy and poetic atmosphere.
Technique & Style
Thomas Gainsborough's Landscape in Suffolk is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. Created in 1748, the work belongs to the landscape genre and depicts the Suffolk region. The physical dimensions of the canvas measure 660 mm in height and 950 mm in width.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1748 by Thomas Gainsborough, as indicated by both the artist’s records and the work’s cataloging.
It entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it remains housed today. The painting’s dimensions are recorded as 66.0 cm in height and 95.0 cm in width, consistent with its current presentation.
Overview
Thomas Gainsborough’s Landscape in Suffolk (1748) is an oil painting that captures a tranquil rural scene in the English county of Suffolk. Executed early in Gainsborough’s career, the work is now held by the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Its composition centers on a winding stream bordered by trees, a solitary figure in a red coat, and a distant thatched cottage.
Context
During the mid‑18th century, English artists began to depict native scenery with greater naturalism, moving away from idealized classical landscapes. Gainsborough’s Landscape in Suffolk exemplifies this shift, integrating a realistic observation of the English countryside with the decorative sensibility of the Rococo style prevalent in Europe at the time.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas Gainsborough (; 14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English painter, draughtsman and printmaker who specialised in portrait and landscape painting.
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