Eye Candy for Today: François-Louis Français landscape

A Stream through a Dense Forest, Francois-Louis Francais, watercolor and gouache landscape
A Stream through a Dense Forest, François-Louis Français

Watercolor and gouache with pen and ink; roughly 18×14″ (46x34cm).

Link is to zoomable version on Google Art Project; original is in the National Gallery of Art, DC, which also has a zoomable version as well as downloadable images (free registration required for largest file size).

This beautifully naturalistic forest scene is one of the recently acquired landscape watercolors highlighted in a show at the NGA in 2014.

Though your eye is intended to travel back into the depth of the painting’s bright center, I love the subtle value relationships in the darker passages.

 
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5 Replies to “Eye Candy for Today: François-Louis Français landscape”

  1. Thanks, James. An interesting thought. I’m sure the rhythm of the painting as a whole derives much from the use of the pen as opposed to a brush, but I hadn’t though about the effect of handwriting on drawing with a pen.

  2. Such a beautiful painting. I enjoy how much texture he put into this painting. Really gives the painting some life. All the subtle details are great and I love how you added the detail photos. Very appreciated! The mediums work well together to achieve those details. Overall wonderful artwork.

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