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Crossing the Stream

Unknown

1750

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

18th Century Landscape

Dominant colour

Crossing the Stream is a 1750 by Unknown, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1750
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This drawing shows a group of people and animals crossing a shallow stream. The water is barely deep, and the people are guiding the animals by ropes. Trees line the banks, their branches sketched in quick, simple lines. The whole scene is done in muted browns and blues, with no bright colors. The artist used thin, repeated lines to build up the shapes, especially on the animals and trees. This makes the drawing look textured, like you could almost feel the strokes. Try looking up *cross-hatching* to see how other artists used similar line work.

The story of this work

Overview

A drawing from 1750 depicts a shepherd guiding a group of sheep and cattle across a stream bordered by trees. The work was included in the H.H. Harrod Bequest of 1947 but remains unregistered, listed under the manuscript catalogue number E.7534.

Read the full account in the museum source.