Landscape with Cottage (recto); Studies of Heads (verso)
1824
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1824
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A small countryside scene shows a cottage beside a tree, drawn in soft shades of gray and black. On the back of the paper are rough sketches of faces and a hillside, some looking playful or exaggerated. The artist, Dr. Thomas Monro, was a doctor who loved art and supported many painters in London. Though he wasn’t a full-time artist, he often copied the style of Thomas Gainsborough, especially his moody, quiet country views. He used simple tools like ink wash and chalk to create depth and shadow, giving the scene a calm, blurry feel. Look up the technique: chiaroscuro.
