Arcadian landscape

1820–42

Not on view

A founding member of the Old Society of Painters in Water-Colours in 1805 and the author of "The Theory and Practice of Water-Colour Painting" (1840), George Barret numbers among the most influential draftsmen of his generation. In his idyllic landscape watercolors, Barret sought to replicate the golden tones of varnished oil paintings by Claude Lorraine (1600–1682) and Nicolas Poussin (1593/94–1665). Here, a mass of fiery leaves, its irregular pattern achieved through superimposed layers of fluid washes, fills the center of the composition and contrasts with the subtler yellow tones of a distant farmhouse and rustic bridge. Amid the warm harmony of reds, oranges, yellows, browns, and greens, the shepherd's bright blue cap sounds the single cool note.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Arcadian landscape
Artist: George Barret, the younger (British, London 1767–1842 London)
Date: 1820–42
Medium: Watercolor over graphite
Dimensions: Overall: 7 7/8 x 10 3/8in. (20 x 26.4cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Gift of Michael Hall Esquire, in honor of William Valentiner, 2000
Object Number: 2000.220
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

By George Barret, the younger

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Cattle and sheep at resting at the edge of a forest, George Barret, the younger British, Watercolor and gouache (bodycolor) over graphite, with reductive techniques and gum arabic — Cattle and sheep at resting at the edge of a forest
George Barret, the younger
ca. 1840

On the Wharfe, Bolton Abbey, William Callow British, Watercolor — On the Wharfe, Bolton Abbey
William Callow
September 30, 1858

Eastern Coast of Rügen with Shepherd, Caspar David Friedrich German, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over graphite, with white opaque watercolor; partial framing lines in pen and brown-black ink — Eastern Coast of Rügen with Shepherd
Caspar David Friedrich
1805–6

Stroh Violin, George Evans & Co. English, Mahogany and aluminum, British — Stroh Violin
George Evans & Co.
first quarter 20th century

Saada, the Wife of Abraham Ben-Chimol, and Préciada, One of Their Daughters, Eugène Delacroix French, Watercolor over graphite on wove paper — Saada, the Wife of Abraham Ben-Chimol, and Préciada, One of Their Daughters
Eugène Delacroix
1832

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.