The image depicts a landscape with a low angle view of a valley flanked by steep rocky walls. The horizon is high in the composition, indicating an expansive scene with rugged cliffs and a bridge in the distance. The artwork uses a monochromatic palette of grays and blacks created with watercolor washes, giving a misty quality to the scene. The brushwork is loose and expressive, capturing the texture of the cliffs and foliage.
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A Picturesque Landscape

William Gilpin (British, 1724 - 1804)

Medium
brush and black ink with gray washes over graphite on light ocher prepared laid paper
Classification
Drawing
Dimensions
overall: 27.1 x 36.9 cm (10 11/16 x 14 1/2 in.)
Culture
British
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CG-E
Credit line
Gift of William B. O'Neal
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art