Artwork
Sand Dunes near Lelant, Cornwall, England
Sand Dunes near Lelant, Cornwall, England is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Walter Elmer Schofield. It dates from 1905 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition emphasizes the natural topography of the English coast, using the dunes and surrounding vegetation to convey a sense of quiet rural scenery.
The painting depicts the sandy coastline of Lelant in Cornwall, England, rendered as a landscape scene that includes a solitary tree amid rolling dunes. Created in 1905 by Walter Elmer Schofield, the work is executed in oil on canvas, a medium noted in the documented sources. The composition emphasizes the natural topography of the English coast, using the dunes and surrounding vegetation to convey a sense of quiet rural scenery.
As a landscape painting held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it reflects early‑twentieth‑century interest in capturing specific regional environments, with the tree serving as a focal element that anchors the broader coastal setting.
Technique & Style
Sand Dunes near Lelant, Cornwall, England is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 96.5 by 121.9 centimeters. The work is classified as a landscape painting, depicting a coastal scene with trees set among sand dunes. Executed in oil paint, the canvas support provided Schofield with a surface suited to the layered handling typical of plein-air landscape practice of the period.
The horizontal orientation emphasizes the breadth of the dune terrain, and the depicted motifs of trees and undulating landform anchor the composition within the conventions of early twentieth-century landscape painting.
History & Provenance
The work was painted by Walter Elmer Schofield in 1905, as recorded in both the artist’s chronology and the Metropolitan Museum’s records. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection directly, with no intervening owners or dealers noted in institutional files. No commission history or preparatory materials have been traced, and the canvas’s dimensions (96.5 × 121.9 cm) and medium (oil on canvas) are consistent with Schofield’s plein-air practice of the period.
Overview
Walter Elmer Schofield's Sand Dunes near Lelant, Cornwall, England, painted in 1905, is an oil landscape. This work exemplifies the artist's engagement with coastal scenery and his Impressionist approach. It is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Schofield, an American Impressionist, was recognized for his depictions of both land and sea.
Context
An American artist, Walter Elmer Schofield was known for his landscapes and marine subjects. Although he did not reside in the region, he is often associated with the Pennsylvania Impressionists. Sand Dunes near Lelant was created during a phase of his career when he frequently depicted the coastal landscapes of England, reflecting his sustained interest in such environments.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Walter Elmer Schofield (September 10, 1866 – March 1, 1944) was an American Impressionist landscape and marine painter.
