The Garden of San Miniato near Florence

1845

John Ruskin

Artist, British, 1819 - 1900

Sunlight pours across golden-tan colored buildings overgrown with verdant plants in this horizontal watercolor. The main two-story building is to our right on the far side of a grassy lawn. A vine creeps across its façade, and a triangular structure projects up over the front of the building, which faces away from us. A high wall extends to or left and then comes toward us. Copper-brown-leaved trees and dark green plants grow on both sides of the wall and over a shallowly peaked roof, which suggests a more substantial structure that has been lost in the growth. Slate-blue hills are glimpsed in the deep distance to the left of the wall.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.
Not on view See artworks now on view

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor and pen and black ink, heightened with white gouache, over graphite on wove paper laid down on thick, white paper

  • Credit Line

    Patrons' Permanent Fund

  • Dimensions

    Overall: 34.2 x 49.2 cm (13 7/16 x 19 3/8 in.)
    mat: 40.6 x 55.9 cm (16 x 22 in.)

  • Accession

    1991.88.1

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1992

  • Dürer to Diebenkorn: Recent Acquisitions of Art of Paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1992, no. 55.

1993

  • The Great Age of British Watercolors 1750-1880, Royal Academy of Arts, London; National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1993, no. 245.

2006

  • The Artist's Vision: Romantic Traditions in Great Britain, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2006 - 2007

Bibliography

1903

  • Ruskin, John. Works of John Ruskin: Library Edition, E.T. Cook and Alexander Wedderburn, eds. London, 1903-1912: XXXV: pl. XXIV.

Wikidata ID

Q64583880

You may be interested in

Loading Results