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Open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
Featured event:

Block Party
Join us June 6
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Rays of Sunlight Striking a Woodland Path

c. 1815

Friedrich Salathé

Associated Names

Friedrich Salathé

Artist, Swiss, 1793 - 1858

The image shows a dense, forested area with towering trees. The composition leads the eye along a pathway into the distance, without a distinct horizon line. The intricate brushstrokes depict the texture and foliage of the trees, suggesting movement and light filtering through the leaves. The color palette is rich and earthy, with shades of green, brown, yellow, and orange, creating a vibrant yet tranquil atmosphere emphasizing light and shadow.

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Artwork overview

Medium

watercolor with pen and black ink over graphite on wove paper
Credit Line

Wolfgang Ratjen Collection, Patrons' Permanent Fund
Dimensions

sheet: 42.8 x 34 cm (16 7/8 x 13 3/8 in.)
Accession Number

2007.111.32

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Salathé's estate. (Kurt Meissner, Zurich). Wolfgang Ratjen, Munich; purchased 2007 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1988

Ein Zeichner der Romantik : Friedrich Salathé, 1793-1858, Kunstmuseum Basel, Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte der Hansestadt Lübeck, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. Basel,1988: 45, pl. 5, 149, no. 8.

2010

German Master Drawings from the Wolfgang Ratjen Collection, 1580 - 1900, NGA, 2010, no. 63, under no. 87.

Inscriptions

verso in graphite: Salathé, Z5635, ZNKst

Watermarks

not deciphered: H R Ho Pro Patria

Wikidata ID

Q64570878

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