Wooded Landscape with Mounted Peasants
Wooded Landscape with Mounted Peasants
Artist
Creation date
1772
Materials
ink, lead white, and gouache on paper mounted on canvas
Dimensions
39 1/2 x 50 3/8 in.
Credit line
Gift of Mrs. Nicolas H. Noyes
Accession number
54.99
Collection
Currently On View In
English 1600-1700 Gallery
Gainsborough's imaginative and experimental exploration of landscape culminated in 1772 when he created this large, crayon-like drawing "in imitation of oil painting." In defiance of conventional distinctions between drawing and painting, Gainsborough developed an entirely new technique. He glued six sheets of paper together, drew on them with India ink and lead white, fixed the drawing with skim milk, mounted it on canvas, colored it with gouache, and then varnished it.
I'm Sick of Portraits, and wish very much to take my Viol da Gamba and walk off to some sweet Village, where I can paint Landskips and enjoy the fag End of Life in quietness and ease.
-Thomas Gainsborough, 1772
Provenance Research is on-going at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and information will be added to this record as research is completed. Please contact Annette Schlagenhauff, Assoc. Curator of Research, at aschlagenhauff@imamuseum.org with any questions.
