Joseph Rubens Powell

British, active 1835/1871

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This painting shows a colorful landscape with a curving path leading across a hill and into the distance. Distant hills fade into a soft blue hue near the horizon. The path is lined with colorful vegetation in shades of orange, red, gold, light green, brown, and lavender. A dark-green and brown hill slopes up on the left, while the right contains a few tall trees. A person with a large, yellow pack walks away from us on the path, heading around the curve of the hill. The sky above is light gray with streaks of white and patches of pale blue.
Joseph Rubens Powell, Autumn, watercolor over graphite on wove paper, Gift of John Nichols Estabrook and Dorothy Coogan Estabrook, 1988.20.29

Autumn

Joseph Rubens Powell · · watercolor over graphite on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1988.20.29

This painting depicts a pastoral landscape viewed from an elevated angle, showing rolling hills extending into the distance. Sheep graze on a hill closest to us, while trees on the left and right burst with pink and white blossoms. In the distance, a person with a dog walks up the slope toward us and the sheep. The color palette consists of pastel greens, pinks, and blues, while some of the grass is light yellow. The sky beyond the hills is mostly filled with white clouds, with small areas of blue peeking through.
Joseph Rubens Powell, Spring, watercolor and gouache over graphite on wove paper, Gift of John Nichols Estabrook and Dorothy Coogan Estabrook, 1988.20.27

Spring

Joseph Rubens Powell · · watercolor and gouache over graphite on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1988.20.27

This painting shows a curving countryside path on the left, with a wooden fence partially visible on the far left in front of a cluster of green trees. The path is cutting through a field of yellow grass with bright red flowers on the right. A woman stands on the edge of the path, to the left of center. She is looking towards the trees on the left. She wears a gray dress with a white apron and appears to hold a basket. Closer to us, to the right of center, a child stands among tall yellow grasses, holding a bunch of bright red flowers. The child is facing the left, looking towards the woman. They wear a blue dress with dark stockings and have shoulder-length, reddish-brown hair. Both people have pale skin and no visible facial features. In the distance there are rolling blue hills beneath a pale gray sky. The brushstrokes in the painting are fluid, and some colors blend together.
Joseph Rubens Powell, Summer, watercolor with gouache over graphite on wove paper, Gift of John Nichols Estabrook and Dorothy Coogan Estabrook, 1988.20.28

Summer

Joseph Rubens Powell · · watercolor with gouache over graphite on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1988.20.28

This painting depicts a snowy landscape. The horizon is in the center of the painting, showing a cream and light gray sky meeting rolling white and light blue hills. Small, snow-covered buildings in shades of pale red and yellow and what may be a church tower are visible at the base of the hills, next to thin, leafless gray trees. The color palette includes white, blues, and earth tones. Closer to us, near the center of the painting, a person in a brown coat and hat carries a bundle of sticks through the snow. Around them are a line of deep footprints. They are facing the left, towards more tall gray trees and a wooden fence.
Joseph Rubens Powell, Winter, watercolor and gouache over graphite on wove paper, Gift of John Nichols Estabrook and Dorothy Coogan Estabrook, 1988.20.30

Winter

Joseph Rubens Powell · · watercolor and gouache over graphite on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1988.20.30