Tree Trunks
c. 1860s
Medium
graphite with gouache on wove paper
Dimensions
image (irregular): 25.72 × 26.67 cm (10 1/8 × 10 1/2 in.) sheet: 26.99 × 36.51 cm (10 5/8 × 14 3/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, Membership Association Fund)
Accession Number
2015.19.587
Art Historical Context
David Johnson, an American landscape artist associated with the Hudson River School, created this intimate study of tree trunks around the 1860s. The period marked a flourishing interest in detailed depictions of the American wilderness, as artists sought to capture the nation's natural beauty amid rapid industrialization and westward expansion. Johnson's focus on tree trunks reflects the movement's emphasis on close observation of nature's textures and forms. Executed in graphite with touches of gouache on wove paper, the drawing highlights the medium's versatility for rendering fine details...
About the Artist
David Johnson · 1827–1908
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