Landscape

Anthony van Dyck

about 1640

Pen and brown ink and watercolor, Pen, Ink, Watercolor

J. Paul Getty Museum

A watercolor and ink drawing depicts a landscape with a prominent tree in the foreground and a dense line of trees in the background. A small building with a white roof is visible among the trees on the right. Amidst the soft, feathery trees in this English landscape, a subtly rendered house at the right suggests a human presence. Though this country view seems spontaneous, the scene is thoughtfully arranged around the prominent central tree. Anthony van Dyck's rich and translucent colors and the freshness of his watercolor and pen accents lend an almost impressionistic tone to the drawing. Van Dyck regularly sketched from life during relaxed interludes, all the while successfully creating coherent, unified compositions. This watercolor probably records a momentary impression created while at leisure, but it may also have served as a stud