As an introduction to landscapes it is suggested that we research how artists have portrayed landscapes across different eras. I felt extremely excited to research into this and to see how the landscapes differ and what changes are made over time.
To begin with, I researched Albrecht Dürer.
One of his drawings that recurred within my search was Landscape with a Cannon.
This is an extraordinary piece with some of the most intricate detailing I have ever seen. The artist created this through the technique of etching – the art of scratching detail upon a varnished metal plate. This seems like an extremely interesting process, and I would be keen to look into this further.
I found that once I had laid eyes on this piece, I couldn’t stop looking at it for a long while. The artist has portrayed the landscape he is viewing so beautifully and accurately that it feels as though I am inside it. It seems as though a new detail that I somehow missed before jumps out at me each time I look at it.
No colour has been used in the piece, which is something that I thought would be a crucial detail to include in a landscape, however, I am able to see now that this isn’t necessarily true. The artist here has not used any colour here and the piece is still as powerful as it would be with it. Through the use of detail, layering and a range of tone Dürer has captured a great deal of depth and personality with just a single colour.
I mentioned in a previous area of research that I loved work from the Renaissance period, and this continues to be true after viewing this. Created in 1518, this piece somehow seems timeless. Although it was created hundreds of years ago, there’s something quite modern about it. I think it’s the severity and bluntness of the lines in which it’s been created with. Whilst many of the other works of art from this era are very soft in both colour and design, this piece is very sharp and strong.
In many of his other landscapes he incorporates a range of colours and tones, however, maintains the strength within his work through the continuous use of sharp lines and unblended colours. The difference in the pieces below is their lack of real depth. I can see that the landscapes go far into the distance, however, the way in which this has been shown is almost cartoon-ish. For example, the landscape of the houses on the right is extremely detailed, however, the perspective seems a little messed up as the houses maintain the same level of detail and colouring, whereas, the further away they get, the less clear they would become.
Next, I looked into the work of Claude Lorrain, an artist within the Baroque era.
Many of the ideas that he produced as drawings were later adapted into oil paintings. These incredible pieces of art remind me something that I would see in a book of fairytales or in a Shakespearian production.
Here I can see a stronger sense of realism being introduced. Whilst both artists create using a strong and clear amount of detail, Lorrain‘s combination of colour, tone and technique gives the impression of a photographed scene or as though you are seeing the actual view, and not an image.
In contrast to the sharpness of Dürer‘s work, Lorrain depicts his scenes very softly. Looking at these pieces instils in me a feeling of calm and warmth; I think this is due to the blending of colours, the depiction of depth and the warm colours used. The thing that makes these paintings so powerful is the attention to perspective used. Looking at all of the pieces above, I can see that the features in the foreground are clearly detailed and the ranges of tone on them are obvious and precise, however, the further away the features get, the subtler those details and the smoother and smudgier they become. The items in the far background have very few details and the range of tone used is very minimal, as they would be more difficult to see and less clear to the artist.
Moving into the twentieth century, I focused on L.S. Lowry.
Now, I’m not sure why, but these pieces make me feel sad. I think it’s maybe due to their lack of colour and life. They just seem very empty and a bit depressing.
Don’t get me wrong, the use of colour is definitely there. I am able to see a variety of red and green and yellow – colours that are usually deemed quite bold and vibrant, however, in these pieces the coloured details are so very small that they get lost in the expanse of white or, in the case of Hillside in Wales, the colour is just so dull that it’s not even really noticeable.
As the years have progressed it’s clear that abstract creativity is becoming more and more popular, which is a very interesting take on creativity. I love to think about an artist’s conscious decision on how they will create a particular piece, such as a landscape. For Lowry, I think he’s balanced the two very well, when often an artist will go for one or the other. At a glance you would be fooled into thinking this were a photograph, but on closer inspection it becomes clear that it’s a very intricate oil painting. I say intricate because, although there are huge spaces of nothingness, the finer details are so minuscule and detailed that you almost miss them. The artist has portrayed these aspects fantastically through their precise and strong use of perspective; looking at the scene from a birds-eye view and being so exact in their recreation of what they are seeing or what they have formed in their mind that you are tricked by how realistic it is.
It’s funny, I began this by saying that these pieces make me feel sad, which they still do, but the more I look at them, the more they interest me and the more I like them. I think they’re quite childlike and very British, so I feel inclined to enjoy them just that bit more.
A more urban and modern artist, George Shaw.
I was absolutely mindblown to discover that these two paintings were exactly that – paintings. I was so convinced that they were photographs that I had to seriously inspect them to find any clue that they were paintings, and that was a challenge, believe me.
Again, these are very British, which is only one reason that I love them. They show Britain in a very honest and raw light, and the detail in which this is displayed is outstanding.
This artist has no boundaries, as you can see. These images differ in many ways, but predominantly in their use of colour and tone. The left image is of a blossom tree in broad daylight, with a house and garden wall behind it. The accuracy of the perspective, colour, tone, textures, and each fine detail are so precise that you wouldn’t think this a painting. To me, it feels flawless which is quite ironic considering that what it is portraying is anything but that.
Looking at the second painting – a larger tree and houses in a darker, gloomier setting, I feel a conflict of emotion towards it. Again, its details are exact and the precision in the creation of it is some of the most incredible work I have seen, yet, it makes me feel pretty uncomfortable. It gives me the impression of a Goosebumps story book, an unsettling and disturbing scene.
I can see the use of layers within this piece, something that I’ve discussed with fellow students and have found a tricky concept in the past. Seeing this, it still seems extremely daunting, however, it’s clear to see that its a very achievable thing and something that adds a great deal to a piece, so I’m keen to keep that in mind and focus on this artist in the future if and when the need for this arises.
To conclude, I looked at the work of Sarah Woodfine – a modern, fantastical sculpture.
An extremely imaginative and abstract approach to the creation of spaces and landscapes. I think these are wonderful and so fascinating. I’m very much reminded of Tim Burton and his animations when I look at the sculptures above, due to the colour choices and the ways in which their used. Somehow, these sculptures feel both eerie and childlike, which is similar to the animations of TB.
I particularly like the piece on the right. I really enjoy the strong and large use of black blank space. Although it is exactly that – a blank space, the artist has portrayed a strong feel of depth with the use of the poles/lines behind the caravan. As these pieces get closer together, the impression of them getting further away is created and when they disappear altogether it’s as though the darkness has swallowed them. I feel that the dark space in this piece could go on for miles and miles more than I can see, which is what makes it such an intriguing piece.
The artist uses flat pieces of card or paper to create these 3-D pieces, but the fact you’re looking at a combination of cut out pieces of paper isn’t something you even consider. She combines realism and fantasy so incredibly that the two become one. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that there is no colour used in these pieces, because it’s just not something that is needed or matters in regards to Sarah Woodfine‘s work. The depth and intimacy portrayed in the two examples above is done so in a monochrome, using only black, white, and grey shades, showing that the use of colour is not exactly necessary when creating a landscape. Through the use of tone Woodfine has been able to show all that she needed to show – depth, texture, shadows – without the use of colour.
Jesy Gilkes 