Landscape with artist resting beside a road, ca. 1851

Thomas Creswick RA (1811 - 1869)

RA Collection: Art

Thomas Creswick's Diploma Work depicts an artist resting at the side of a country lane. Although this bearded man may be a self-portrait it is more likely to be a generic figure, as Creswick often employed the pastoral motif of resting or reclining figures such as shepherds or rustic families to add interest to his landscapes. Another of Creswick's favourite devices was the use of a stream flowing through his landscapes, but in this painting it is replaced with a winding, rutted road, which leads the eye back to the distant hills and silvery clouds.