When ever art is mentioned, a lot of people roll their eyes and claim that they don't understand it. Although there is one area that everyone can immediately see and associate with. This is the realm of the famous landscape painters, and their depictions of everyday life in picturesque surroundings.
The genre had very slow beginnings, and for a while was quite unpopular. The main patrons of the arts were the wealthy, and they preferred their paintings on a much grander scale. The ever popular genres either had a biblical, or mythological, theme running through them, or the individual had commissioned an artist to paint their portrait.
Landscape painting really began to take hold because of European gentry. Many wanted an artist to produce a painting of their country estate, which they would proudly display in their town house. Initially these paintings were bereft of people, apart from maybe to give an idea as to scale. All too often the landscape was depicted purely as background to stately houses and buildings.
As this was a largely unexplored genre the artists produced results largely by trial and error. They had to experiment with color and the interplay between light and shadow. As their results improved so their available markets increased.
At that time the main artists experimenting in this new field were either Dutch or Flemish. As a point of interest the word landscape is even based on the Dutch word of landschap. They soon noticed that smaller paintings attracted a wider market.
Artists moved away from huge religious paintings, into the more moderately sized pieces and found that they could produce more. It might be coincidence, but it could explain why there are a greater number of surviving pieces. Many have recognised that despite this genre starting on the European continent, it was artists in England during the 19th century who really boosted the style.
The development of new materials meant that the artist could venture out into the countryside and study things. Previously they were confined to their sketch books and their studios. Now they could set up and paint whatever it was that they saw before them.
Many also cite the new developments in photography as being important. Most artists adhered to the idea of realism, whatever was before them was reproduced on their canvas. Although some chose to see photography as a chance experiment and push boundaries, as a consequence some different depictions of landscapes came to be.
Most people will be able to run off a number of popular names from within this field of art. Most likely they will include at least one of either, Gainsborough, Turner or Constable. The works of these artists are nearly always instantly recognized, even by those who claim to know nothing about the subject.
Thanks largely to these artists the hobby of painting was deemed suitable for young European ladies and gentlemen. When they migrated to the Americas they took this pastime with them. Which gave rise to some of America's most famous landscape painters.
The genre had very slow beginnings, and for a while was quite unpopular. The main patrons of the arts were the wealthy, and they preferred their paintings on a much grander scale. The ever popular genres either had a biblical, or mythological, theme running through them, or the individual had commissioned an artist to paint their portrait.
Landscape painting really began to take hold because of European gentry. Many wanted an artist to produce a painting of their country estate, which they would proudly display in their town house. Initially these paintings were bereft of people, apart from maybe to give an idea as to scale. All too often the landscape was depicted purely as background to stately houses and buildings.
As this was a largely unexplored genre the artists produced results largely by trial and error. They had to experiment with color and the interplay between light and shadow. As their results improved so their available markets increased.
At that time the main artists experimenting in this new field were either Dutch or Flemish. As a point of interest the word landscape is even based on the Dutch word of landschap. They soon noticed that smaller paintings attracted a wider market.
Artists moved away from huge religious paintings, into the more moderately sized pieces and found that they could produce more. It might be coincidence, but it could explain why there are a greater number of surviving pieces. Many have recognised that despite this genre starting on the European continent, it was artists in England during the 19th century who really boosted the style.
The development of new materials meant that the artist could venture out into the countryside and study things. Previously they were confined to their sketch books and their studios. Now they could set up and paint whatever it was that they saw before them.
Many also cite the new developments in photography as being important. Most artists adhered to the idea of realism, whatever was before them was reproduced on their canvas. Although some chose to see photography as a chance experiment and push boundaries, as a consequence some different depictions of landscapes came to be.
Most people will be able to run off a number of popular names from within this field of art. Most likely they will include at least one of either, Gainsborough, Turner or Constable. The works of these artists are nearly always instantly recognized, even by those who claim to know nothing about the subject.
Thanks largely to these artists the hobby of painting was deemed suitable for young European ladies and gentlemen. When they migrated to the Americas they took this pastime with them. Which gave rise to some of America's most famous landscape painters.
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