Landscape Painting: Landscape Painters You Should Know
Trumbull
Art Historical Reference: Position of Landscape in the Hierarchy of the
Painting Genres
Landscape was ranked number 4 in the hierarchy of the genres (types of picture) by
the great European academies of fine art, as announced in 1669 by Andre Felibien,
Secretary to the French Academy. The other genres (in order of importance) were
History painting, Portraiture, Genre-Works, and Still Life. The low ranking bestowed
on landscape art stemmed from its lesser "narrative" content (that is, moral
message). In an attempt to overcome this, early landscape artists tried to infuse
their pictures with an uplifting message, connecting the views captured with
mythological or aesthetic significance.
The Top 10 Landscape Artists
This list of famous landscape painters has been compiled by art Editor Neil
Collins MA LLB. It represents his personal view of the ten best exponents of scenic
art. Like any such compilation it reveals more about the personal tastes of the
compiler than the landscape painters being ranked.
JOINT No 10.
Thomas Cole (1801-48) and Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900)
THOMAS COLE: The greatest American landscape painter of the early 19th century,
and a founder of the Hudson River School, Thomas Cole was born in England where
he worked as an apprentice engraver before emigrating to the USA in 1818, where
he achieved rapid recognition as a view painter, settling in the village of Catskill in
the Hudson Valley. Already an admirer of both Claude Lorraine and Turner, he
visited England and Italy 1829-32, after which (partly due the encouragement he
received from John Martin and Turner) he began to focus less on the depiction of
natural scenery and more on grandiose allegorical and historical themes. Greatly
impressed with the natural beauty of the American scenery, Cole infused much of
his landscape art with great feeling and an unmistakable romantic grandeur.
Famous Landscapes by Thomas Cole
- The Last of the Mohicans (1827) oil on canvas, Fenimore Art Museum, NY
- View on the Catskill - Early Autumn (1837) oil on canvas, Metropolitan, NY
- American Lake Scene (1844) oil on canvas, Detroit Institute of Arts
FREDERIC EDWIN CHURCH: A pupil of Cole, Church arguably exceeded his master in
his monumental romantic panoramas, each of which conveyed something of the
spirituality of nature. Church painted spectacular views of natural scenery from all
over the American continent from Labrador to the Andes. For more, see: Frederic
Edwin Church Biography.
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Famous Landscapes by Frederic Church
- The Falls of Niagara (1857, Corcoran, Washington)
- The Heart of the Andes (1859, Metropolitan Museum New York)
- Twilight in the Wilderness (1860, Cleveland Museum of Art)
- Cotopaxi (1862, Detroit Institute of Arts)
No 9. Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)
Introspective, melancholic and somewhat reclusive, Caspar David Friedrich is the
greatest landscape painter of the romantic tradition. Born near the Baltic, he settled
permanently in Dresden, where he focused exclusively on the spiritual connections
and significance of landscape, being inspired by the haunted silence of the forest, as
well as the effect of light (sunrise, dusk, moonlight) and the seasons. His genius lay
in his ability to capture a hitherto undiscovered spiritual dimension in nature, which
gives his landscape painting an emotional, mystical edge which has never been
equalled.
Famous Works by Caspar David Friedrich
- Winter Landscape (1811) oil on canvas, National Gallery, London
- Landscape at Riesengebirge (1830), oil on canvas, Pushkin Museum, Moscow
- Man and Woman Gazing at the Moon (1830-5) oil, Nationalgalerie, Berlin
No 8. Alfred Sisley (1839-1899)
Often called the "forgotten Impressionist", the Anglo-French Alfred Sisley was
second only to Monet in his fidelity to spontaneous plein-airism: indeed, he was the
only one of the Impressionists to devote himself exclusively to landcape painting.
His seriously undervalued reputation rests on his skill in capturing the unique
effects of the light and seasons on a wide range of landscape, waterscape and
riverscape scenery. His depiction of early light and dull afternoons is especially
memorable. Not high fashion at present but still ranks as one of the greatest
exponents of Impressionist landscape painting. Could well become re-evaluated
since - unlike Monet - his works never suffer from a lack of form.
Famous Landscapes by Alfred Sisley
- Misty Morning (1874) oil on canvas, Musee d'Orsay
- Snow at Louveciennes (1878) oil on canvas, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
- Moret Bridge in the Sun (1892) oil on canvas, Private Collection
No 7. Aelbert Cuyp (1620-91)
A Dutch Realist artist, Aelbert Cuyp is one of the most renowned of all Netherlandish
landscape painters. His greatest scenic views - river scenes and landscapes with
placid livestock - reveal great serenity and masterful handling of glowing light (early
morning, or evening sun) in an Italianate style: a sign of significant Claudean
influence. This golden light often catches just the edges and rims of vegetation,
clouds or animals, with highlights laid on in thick impasto paint. In this way, Cuyp
turned his native Dordrecht into a dream world encapsulated in the start or end of a
perfect day, with an all-pervading sense of stillness and security, and everything in
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harmony with Nature. Popular in Holland, he was greatly appreciated and collected
in England.
Famous Landscapes by Aelbert Cuyp
Dordrecht from the North (1650) oil/canvas, Anthony de Rothschild Collection
River Landscape w. Horseman, Peasants (1658) oil, National Gallery, London
No 6. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875)
One of the greatest romantic style landscape painters, Jean-Baptiste Corot is
renowned for his unaffected picturesque depiction of nature. His particularly
sensitive treatment of distance, light and form was dependent on tonal values rather
than on drawing and colour, lending the finished composition an air of timeless
romance. Less encumbered by painterly theory, Corot's works are nevertheless
among the world's most popular landscape pictures. A regular exhibitor at the
Parisian Salon from 1827, and a member of the Barbizon School led by Theodore
Rousseau (1812-67), he was immensely influential on other outdoor artists like
Charles-Francois Daubigny (1817-1878), Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) and Alfred
Sisley (1839-1899). He was also an extraordinarily generous man who spent much
of his money on needy artists.
Famous Landscapes by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
- Bridge at Narni (1826) oil paint on canvas, Louvre
- Ville d'Avray (c.1867) oil on canvas, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York
- Rural Scene (1875) oil on canvas, Musee Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi, France
No 5. Jacob Van Ruisdael (1628-82)
Now considered the greatest of all Dutch Realist landscape artists, the work of Jacob
Van Ruisdael had a huge influence on later European landscape art, although during
his lifetime he was less popular than the Italianate-style painters. His subjects
included windmills, riverscapes, forests, fields, beaches and seascapes, depicted
with unusual emotional feeling, using bold forms, dense colours and vigorous
impastoed brushwork, instead of the usual focus on tonal values. A pupil of his uncle
Salomon Van Ruisdael, Jacob in turn taught the celebrated Meindert Hobbema, and
was much admired by English masters like Thomas Gainsborough and John
Constable, as well as members of the Barbizon school.
Famous Landscapes by Jacob Van Ruisdal
- Landscape w. Shepherds and Farmers (1665) oil on canvas, Uffizi Gallery
- The Mill at Wijk Near Duurstede (1670) oil on canvas, Rijksmuseum
- Jewish Cemetery at Ouderkerk (1670), Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden
No 4. Claude Lorraine (1600-82) (Claude Gellee)
French painter, draughtsman and etcher, active in Rome, who is regarded by many
art historians as the greatest painter of idyllic landscapes in the history of art. Since
pure (that is, secular and unclassical) landscape, like plain still-life or genre painting,
was seen (in 17th century Rome) as lacking in moral seriousness, Claude Lorrain
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introduced classical elements and mythological themes into his compositions,
including deities, heroes and saints. In addition, his chosen environment - the
countryside around Rome - was rich in antique ruins. These classical Italianate
pastoral landscapes were further infused with a poetic light, which represents his
unique contribution to the art of landscape painting. Claude Lorraine was especially
influential on English artists, both during his lifetime and for two centuries
thereafter: John Constable described him as "the most perfect landscape painter the
world ever saw."
Famous Works by Claude Lorraine
- Campus Vaccino in Rome (1636) oil on canvas, Musee du Louvre
- Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac/Rebecca (1648) oil, National Gallery
- Landcape with Tobias and the Angel (1663) oil, Hermitage, St Petersburg
No 3. John Constable (1776-1837)
Ranks alongside Turner as one of the best English landscape painters, not least for
his singular ability to recreate the colours, climate and rustic scenery of the
romantic English countryside, and for his pioneering role in the development of
plein-airism. In contrast to Turner's distinctively interpretive style, John Constable
focused on nature, painting the Suffolk and Hampstead scenery he knew so well. His
spontaneous, fresh compositions were often, however, careful reconstructions that
owed much to his close study of Dutch Realism as well as Claudean Italianate style
works. The renowned artist Henry Fuesli once commented that the life-like
naturalist renditions of Constable always made him call for his umbrella!
Famous Landscapes by John Constable
- Boatbuilding Near Flatford Mill (1815) oil, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
- The Hay Wain (1821) oil on canvas, National Gallery, London
No 2. Claude Monet (1840-1926)
The greatest modern landscape painter and a giant of French painting, he was the
leading figure of the hugely influential Impressionism movement, to whose tenets of
spontaneous plein-air painting he remained faithful for the rest of his life. A close
friend of Impressionist painters Renoir and Pissarro, his quest for optical truth above all in the depiction of light - is exemplified by his series of canvases
portraying the same object in varying light conditions, and at different times of the
day, like his Haystacks (1888 onwards), Poplars (1891 on), Rouen Cathedral (1892
on), and the river Thames (1899 on). This method culminated in his famous series
of Water-lilies (among the most famous landscape paintings ever) created from
1883 in his garden at Giverny. His last set of monumental water-lily pictures with
their shimmering colours have been interpreted by several critics and painters as an
important precursor to abstract art, and by others as the supreme exemplar of
Monet's search for spontaneous naturalism.
Famous Landscapes by Claude Monet
- Impression, Sunrise (1873) oil on canvas, Musee Marmottan Monet, Paris
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- Poppies Near Argenteuil (1873) oil on canvas, Musee d'Orsay
- Haystack in the Morning, Snow Effect (1891) oil, Boston Museum Fine Arts
- Waterlilly Pond (1899) oil on canvas, National Gallery, London
No 1. JMW Turner (1775-1851)
In my opinion, JMW Turner is the greatest ever landscape painter: his unique style
remains enduringly popular. Overshadowed initially by Thomas Girtin, Turner
worked exclusively in watercolours until the age of 21, Turner's early style of oil
painting was Italianate, rather than Dutch Realist, but his mature works of pale
brilliance did not materialize until after his 1819 sketching tour of Italy. His unique
genius was his ability to capture the differing effect of light in a revolutionary style
of proto-Impressionism verging on abstract expressionism, making him one of the
first genuinely "modern" artists, revered by Claude Monet as well as 20th century
expressionists. The Turner style of English landscape painting remains, like the
frenzied brushwork of Van Gogh, an instantly recognizable contribution to the
history of art. He became a full member of the Royal Academy at 27, Professor of
Linear Perspective at 32, and Deputy President in 1845. On his death, he left 300
paintings and nearly 20,000 drawings and watercolours to the National Gallery in
London.
Famous Landscapes by JMW Turner
- Burning of the House of Lords and Commons (1835) oil, Philadelphia Museum
- The Fighting Temeraire (1839) oil on canvas, National Gallery, London
- Dawn after the Wreck (1840) watercolour, British Museum, London
- Snow Storm: Steamboat off a Harbour's Mouth (1842) oil, Tate Gallery
Assignment:
Go online and review work by these artists. Select ONE as your favorite. Write a 2
page (double spaced) essay explaining why you selected that artist and mentioning
specific works as support for your choice.
OR
Write a 2 page (double spaced) essay about your favorite painting by one of these
artists. Again, be specific and use examples to compare and contrast your choice
with other works.
Write from your own observation – do not string together quotes from online
sources, or insert images into your essay. Print the image separately, small
size/B&W is fine, and attach it to your work.
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