“An image of the Earth, its landscapes, directly affects people. The beauty of the Earth creates enormous emotion, and through that emotion, you can transmit knowledge and raise consciousness.”
Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Singulart Magazine: “Landscape Painting–A Brief History” [*]
“Landscape painting is a highly popular artistic genre present in many cultures and artistic traditions with a long and established history. Landscape painting encompasses a variety of natural scenes including mountains, rivers, valleys, forests, fields, and coasts. This definition was expanded in the 20th century to include urban and industrial landscapes. Landscape painters are inspired by the world around them and, while landscape paintings are principally figurative, there is a growing tradition of abstract landscapes that developed from the middle of the 20th century onward. Generally speaking, artists depict a landscape to capture its beauty, or to make a comment on the relationship between man and the environment.
While some believe that Da Vinci was the originator of the landscape painting, this is a common misconception. The landscape tradition can actually be traced back to China and the 4th century, where Chinese painters sought to capture their impression of the landscape. It became so popular, in fact, that the beginning of the 9th century is referred to as the dawn of the Great Age of Chinese Landscape.
Landscape Painting in Europe: In the Western tradition, appreciation of nature for its own sake was not always popular. Landscapes were typically used as the background for historic paintings or portraits. The landscape painting only emerged as a popular genre in the 17th century. There is some evidence of a landscape tradition in Ancient Greece and Rome, but these paintings often featured other elements. Albrecht Altdorfer’s Landscape with Footbridge, which dates from the early 16th century, is considered the first true landscape in Western art history.”
*Quotation above is taken directly from the website cited and is the property of that source. It is meant to inform the reader and to give credit where it is due.
My Modern Met: “The Evolution of Landscape Painting and How Contemporary Artists Keep It Alive” [*]
“In the contemporary realm of painting, artists often dabble in styles inspired by past artistic movements. One genre that has particularly strong roots in the past is landscape painting. Today, contemporary artists who work in this style visually demonstrate the ways in which their work has been inspired by the age-old genre, which is characterized by an interest in portraying nature. To see these influences and learn about landscape art, it is important to understand the ways in which artists—of the past and present—creatively approach it.
What is Landscape Painting? Landscape painting (or landscape art) refers to an artistic genre defined by a focus on natural scenery as subject matter. Landscape paintings can depict a variety of settings, such as mountains, forests, rivers, and beaches. They often offer a wide view of the scene, and usually place some focus on the sky.
Artists choose landscapes as their subjects for a variety of reasons. In addition to wanting to represent or replicate their obvious beauty, some artists opt to create these depictions to study and explore various aesthetic elements, like light, color, and texture. Additionally, some artists also use scenes of nature as a way to tell a story, illustrate an idea, or conceptualize a metaphor.
Tracing the genre’s evolution and looking at well-known landscape paintings throughout history enables one to visually recognize these differences and understand where contemporary landscape painters may find their inspiration.”*Quotation above is taken directly from the website cited and is the property of that source. It is meant to inform the reader and to give credit where it is due.
Here is the third of three galleries featuring landscape artwork through the centuries:
