Assignment: Landscapes in Art

Complete the following three parts of your assignment.

Due: Friday 5 June

Part One:

What is Landscape painting? Write minimum one paragraph.

Part Two:

The following images are examples of how landscapes have been depicted over the last few centuries.


Arrange them into their correct chronological order. First have a guess and then research the actual dates. (Approximations accepted)




1. J.M.W. Turner, Storm Sea With Blazing Wreck

2. Arthur Streeton, The purple noon's transparent might

3. Jeffrey Smart, The Cleaners

4. Paul Cezanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire

5. Claude Monet, Water Lily Pond

6. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Blick auf Davos

7. Grace Cossington Smith, Eastern Road, Turramurra

8. Casper David Friedrich, Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog

9. Andre Derain, Charring Cross Bridge, London

10. Corot, The Bridge and the Church, Moret sur Loing

11. Elise Blumann, Storm on the Swan

Part Three:

Select one artist/image from the list in Part Three. Complete a critical analysis of one of their artworks. Refer to the following questions to help you.

A handout will be provided to guide your investigation and analysis.

Homework Task 1: Jan van Goyen vs Claude Lorrain

Your task is to critically analyse the two images. River Scene by Janvan Goyen and Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Claude Lorrain.
1. Describe the images in terms of composition.
2. Describe the images in terms of atmosphere. Explain how the atmosphere is created with reference to colour, and scale.
3. Explain your personal preference (with reasons to back you up)
4. Write a short biography about your preferred artist.

Jan van Goyen

Jan van Goyen, A River Scene, c.1650

Claude Lorrain

Claude Lorrain, Rest on the Flight into Egypt, 1644

History of Landscape Painting

Landscapes are a very popular subject-matter in art but it has not always been highly esteemed. Landscape was traditionally considered lower in status than portraiture, which patrons would pay much more for.

It is difficult to paint a successful landscape as it is very hard to capture a 3D view in 2D. In the past, rules of perspective, use of colour and effective compositions were all things that had to be experimented with. Painting landscapes presented a great challenge to artists and many rose to that challenge making it an important genre in its own right.

source: http://www.museumnetworkuk.org/landscapes/history/historyindex.htm

How to use the blog.

Claude Lorraine, Italian Coastal Landscapes, 1642

Click on the image and you will be taken to the full sized image.

Click on the artist's name and you will be taken to the Wikipedia website for the artist.

Landscapes in Art

Landscape in Art is set up for the use of Year 10 GATE art students at Kalamunda Senior High School to assist them with their learning. I hope to use the blog to illustrate the history of landscape in art and then eventually to publish the students own work.

Claire Eden
Teacher.