Hillside with Trees
1872–78
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
30.6 × 40.6 cm (12 1/16 × 16 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
65011
Art Historical Context
William Morris Hunt (1824–1879) was a leading American painter who played a pivotal role in introducing French Barbizon influences to the United States after studying abroad. Created between 1872 and 1878, “Hillside with Trees” reflects the post-Civil War era when American artists increasingly turned to intimate landscapes to express a renewed appreciation for nature’s quiet beauty. This small oil painting captures Hunt’s mature interest in atmospheric effects and everyday rural scenes. Painted in oil on canvas, the work’s modest scale (roughly 12 by 16 inches) suggests it may have served as ...
About the Artist
William Morris Hunt · 1824–1879
American, Brattleboro, Vermont 1824–1879 Appledore, New Hampshire