''River Landscape'' is a painting by the Italian artist

Annibale Carracci Annibale Carracci ( , , ; November 3, 1560 – July 15, 1609) was an Italian painter and instructor, active in Bologna and later in Rome. Along with his brother Agostino Carracci, Agostino and cousin Ludovico Carracci, Ludovico (with whom the Ca ...

which is part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection in the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...

, Washington D.C. It was painted in Italy circa 1590 when Carracci and his brother and cousin were pioneering the creation of naturalistic landscape works in which the countryside was depicted for its own sake, rather than as a stylised backdrop to a religious or mythological subject. It can be compared in this respect with his earlier paintings ''Fishing'' and ''Hunting'', now both in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

. The painting would have been created in the studio from sketches made in the field. Characteristically of Carracci's landscapes a dark foreground frames the distant view, the perspective enhanced by trees of diminishing height. The painting was acquired by the English art connoisseur

John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick (16 February 1770 – 20 January 1859) was an English peer, landowner and collector of art works. Rushout was the son of John Rushout, 1st Baron Northwick and his wife Rebecca Bowles. He was born at St James', ...

and displayed in his private gallery at

Thirlestaine House Thirlestaine House is a Grade I listed building in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. History Thirlestaine House was started in 1820 by J.R. Scott (an amateur architect) for his own use. In 1838 the unfinished building was bought by Lord ...

near Cheltenham, England. When the collection was sold on his death in 1859 ''River Landscape'' was described as a work of Velazquez and only many years later was it ascribed to Carracci. It was bought in 1948 by its present owners, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation of New York and in recent years has been restored by the removal of discoloured varnish and the retouching of abraded paint.

References

1590s paintings Paintings by Annibale Carracci Paintings in the National Gallery of Art Landscape paintings {{1590s-painting-stub

See also

References