Meadow Scene, c. 1825

In this oil study, Friedrich Gauermann (1807–1862) presents the bucolic image of a Meadow Scene with cattle. The symmetrical arrangement of the pictorial elements around the decaying tree at the center and the balanced distribution of light and shadow create a tranquil atmosphere. The contrasts of light and dark resulting from backlight conditions as well as the composition are characteristic of Gauermann’s landscapes of the 1820s, largely inspired by the region around his home in Miesenbach in Lower Austria. The artist’s agitated, broad brushstrokes seem to suggest a temperamental, spontaneous capturing of his impressions of nature. Even though his oil studies appear to portray unaltered landscapes, they were often composed by combining different topographical segments.

AGW, 2022