A Look At Famous Landscape Painters

If you ever start a conversation with art as the topic, all too often people's eyes cloud over. Many claim not to grasp what the artist is trying to convey. However if you start to talk about famous landscape painters it becomes a different matter, as the individual can see and understand what the artist has put on canvas.



At one time this subject matter was not very popular. It failed to capture the imagination, or the interest, of the wealthy, who were the main patrons of the art world. They much preferred the grander religious scenes, or those depicting events discussed in mythology, and quite a number were happy to sit and pose while their portraits were painted.




It was the European gentry who were largely responsible for the rise in popularity of the humble landscape. They would commission works that depicted their country estates, which they would display in their large town houses. In their original form these paintings did not have any people included, unless it was to emphasize scale. Or the landscaping was there purely as a background to either the person being painted, or buildings



Because this genre was largely uncharted territory, the artist had to find out for themselves what worked and what didn't. The play of light on objects had to be experimented with, as had the new vibrant colors. It all worked out well, as people liked what they saw, and so the market grew.



The main artists in those very early years were Dutch and Flemish. In fact even the word landscape is derived from the Dutch word landschap. Recognising that there was a much wider market these artists produced smaller paintings, which were sold to the general public.



Possibly because paintings were becoming smaller, they were also being produced in greater numbers. Perhaps this is why so many fine examples have withstood the passage of time. Many would say that although the genre might have begun on the European mainland, it was the 19th century English artists who really shaped and moulded it.



Another benefit that the artist of the time had was the development of new materials. So rather than being confined to their studios and garrets the artist could travel out into the countryside. They no longer had to rely on their sketch books, but could actually set up paint outdoors.



The advent of photography also played a part in the development in this genre. For most they followed the paths of realism, faithfully putting down on canvas whatever was displayed in front of them. Some took the introduction of cameras as the chance to experiment, and so some alternate styles of landscape painting began to occur.



Whenever people think of this genre from the world of art, there are several names that are automatically thought of. These are the names of Constable, Turner and Gainsborough. Many of their works are instantly recognizable, even to people who profess to have no knowledge, or interest.



Thanks to these artists these was a rise in popularity of painting as a pastime for both men and women. When these people left Europe to make new lives for themselves in America, they took their hobby with them. From those pioneers have emerged some of the American continent's .



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