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Forest Scene

Artist William Trost Richards (American, 1833-1905)

Date1875

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions27 1/4 x 40 in. (69.2 x 101.6 cm)
Overall, Frame: 34 1/2 x 47 1/2 in. (87.6 x 120.7 cm)

ClassificationsAmerican art

Credit LineBequest of Edward J. Brickhouse

Object number84.499

Terms

Forest
Trees
rivers & streams
Stone
Brown
Green
White
Gray
Black
Naturalist
Pennsylvania

On View

On view

DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting of a forest with a stream. Rocks and boulders are shown in the landscape; in the left corner the rocky landscape is moss-covered. The trees have green leaves, illuminated by the sun.

Label TextWilliam Trost Richards American, 1833–1905 Forest Scene, 1875 Oil on canvas This lush green forest is a feast of details. Working outdoors, William Trost Richards filled his sketchbooks with pencil and watercolor drawings of how sunlight and shadow turned each leaf and mossy rock into a unique universe of colors. He then used these studies as an encyclopedia from which to compose rich paintings like this Forest Scene in his studio. Though lacking dramatic topography and historical associations, his paintings appealed to scientists, poets, philosophers, and all who appreciated nature’s beauty. Bequest of Edward J. Brickhouse 84.499