Artwork
Landscape and Figures
Landscape and Figures is an oil painting. It dates from 1913 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A dark, rough scene: five faint shapes, like people or animals, move in a line across a black and gray ground beneath a thin white strip of sky. The figures blur into the background, and the thick, uneven paint gives the work a worn, almost unfinished look. Dated 1913.
Subject & Meaning
Its subject combines equine and human forms within an outdoor setting, suggesting a composition that integrates animal and person within the environment.
The painting titled Landscape and Figures, completed in 1913, portrays a horse alongside a human figure set within a natural landscape, as documented in the work's descriptive record. Executed in oil on canvas, the piece measures 11.8 × 17.8 cm and belongs to the landscape genre, reflecting its classification as a painting of terrain with figurative elements. Its subject combines equine and human forms within an outdoor setting, suggesting a composition that integrates animal and person within the environment. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, underscoring its institutional context.
Technique & Style
Landscape and Figures is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, measuring 11.8 by 17.8 centimetres. Created in 1913, the work falls within the landscape genre and depicts a scene containing a horse and a human figure. Formerly attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock, the painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The medium and materials are standard for early 20th-century oil paintings. While specific handling techniques or condition reports are not detailed in the available records, the work is classified as a painting characterized by its landscape subject and figurative elements.
History & Provenance
Landscape and Figures is an oil-on-canvas work dated to 1913, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, with accession number 1975.1.216. It entered the museum's collection in 1975. The painting has historically been associated with Ralph Albert Blakelock, though its attribution is recorded as "formerly attributed" to him, indicating that the original ascription has since been revised or withdrawn. No further details regarding commission, prior ownership, or exhibition history are documented in the available records.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Landscape and Figures, presents a somber and indistinct scene. It features a series of five ambiguous forms, possibly human or animal, moving in a linear progression across a dark, expansive ground. The work's muted palette and obscured details contribute to an overall sense of mystery and an almost ethereal quality, inviting viewers to interpret its elusive imagery.
Artist & collection
