Italian Landscape With Travelers by Jan Both
In the galleries of the Art Institute of Chicago is a very fine landscape painting by the Dutch artist Jan Both.
The title of the painting is Italian Landscape with Travelers.
The scene depicts travelers on a country path with their beasts of burden and assorted goods including pets.
In the back of the painting are wonderful mountains that start their elevation on the left side of the painting and gradually increase their slop as you move towards the right side of the painting, finishing in the cluster of trees on the far right.
The mountains are expressed in two tiers, the first being the large formidable mountain that commands the center of the painting and the mountain directly in front of it that has a small cluster of structures and a tower.
Behind these two mountains is a vista of a larger range with a very high summit that can be seen going into the trees.
These are rendered in muted tones suggesting mist or haze due to the distance from the viewer.
The two mountains that are in front are well detailed and rich in earthen tones that gives support to the cluster of buildings on the top.
On the right side of the painting there are two beautiful birch trees that give comfort and shade to the entire scene.
As you look though the trees you can see the beginning of a grove or forest that leads up to the mountains in the distance.
The trees are beautifully rendered which offer excellent balance to the work of art.
The trunks of the trees are spaced apart at ground level and then work into each other as they reach upwards toward the branches.
If you look carefully between the trunks you will see a small valley with a river flowing through it.
This area and the area on the bottom left are the darkest in the painting and offer support to the composition.
The afternoon light is coming in from the left and can be seen on the trunks of the trees, the left side of the cluster of buildings on the mountain, and in the field with pond in the background.
The sunlight is present but not overwhelming or intense, the scene is mild and pastoral.
The large cumulus clouds above the mountains in the background offer an air of life and freshness in the upper regions of the painting to compensate for the dark tones below.
Stephen F.
Condren - Artist
The title of the painting is Italian Landscape with Travelers.
The scene depicts travelers on a country path with their beasts of burden and assorted goods including pets.
In the back of the painting are wonderful mountains that start their elevation on the left side of the painting and gradually increase their slop as you move towards the right side of the painting, finishing in the cluster of trees on the far right.
The mountains are expressed in two tiers, the first being the large formidable mountain that commands the center of the painting and the mountain directly in front of it that has a small cluster of structures and a tower.
Behind these two mountains is a vista of a larger range with a very high summit that can be seen going into the trees.
These are rendered in muted tones suggesting mist or haze due to the distance from the viewer.
The two mountains that are in front are well detailed and rich in earthen tones that gives support to the cluster of buildings on the top.
On the right side of the painting there are two beautiful birch trees that give comfort and shade to the entire scene.
As you look though the trees you can see the beginning of a grove or forest that leads up to the mountains in the distance.
The trees are beautifully rendered which offer excellent balance to the work of art.
The trunks of the trees are spaced apart at ground level and then work into each other as they reach upwards toward the branches.
If you look carefully between the trunks you will see a small valley with a river flowing through it.
This area and the area on the bottom left are the darkest in the painting and offer support to the composition.
The afternoon light is coming in from the left and can be seen on the trunks of the trees, the left side of the cluster of buildings on the mountain, and in the field with pond in the background.
The sunlight is present but not overwhelming or intense, the scene is mild and pastoral.
The large cumulus clouds above the mountains in the background offer an air of life and freshness in the upper regions of the painting to compensate for the dark tones below.
Stephen F.
Condren - Artist
