Arcadian Landscape with an Obelisk

1785

Salomon Gessner

Associated Names
Salomon Gessner

Artist, Swiss, 1730 - 1788

The painting features a landscape view from an elevated perspective, showcasing lush vegetation and rolling hills in the distance. An obelisk-like structure is seen on the right side. The brushwork is varied, with detailed strokes for the trees and foliage, and blended strokes for the sky. The color palette is dominated by earthy greens, browns, blues, and whites. A path with figures and animals leads through the scene, transitioning into a softer focus towards the hill with the obelisk.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gouache on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rudolf and Lore Heinemann Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 28.1 x 38.8 cm (11 1/16 x 15 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2002.67.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Prince Heinrich Reuss, Bad Köstritz. Hannelore Kettler, Frankfurt am Main, 1945. (David Tunick, New York); purchased 2002 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2004

  • Six Centuries of Prints and Drawings: Recent Acquisitions, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2004 - 2005

Bibliography

2002

  • Robison, Andrew. "Three Italianate Watercolors," National Gallery of Art Bulletin, no. 28, Fall, 2002, 6-7.

Inscriptions

lower left in brown gouache: S. Gessner 1785

Watermarks

WHATMAN

Wikidata ID

Q64630221

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