The Morning of Life

1860/1861

Samuel Palmer

Associated Names
Samuel Palmer

Artist, British, 1805 - 1881

The image shows a scene with figures interacting in a natural setting. Children and animals are engaged in various activities near the viewer. Trees and foliage obscure the horizon, creating a dense canopy. Light is coming from the back right, creating contrast between light and shadow. The artwork is detailed with etching, using linework and cross-hatching for texture. A monochromatic color palette of brownish-gray sets a nostalgic mood, emphasizing the central light source and details of the setting.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 21.7 × 25.4 cm (8 9/16 × 10 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.6712

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Lister 1988, no. 10, State vi/vii

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1988

  • The Pastoral Landscape: The Modern Vision, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., 1988-1989, no. 104, fig. 178.

Bibliography

1968

  • Lister, Raymond. Samuel Palmer and His Etchings.New York, 1968.

1988

  • Lister, Raymond. Catalogue Raisonne of the Works of Samuel Palmer. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1988: no. 10, vi/vii

Wikidata ID

Q65025503

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