Untitled (cattle near river with sailboat in distance)

Edward Mitchell Bannister, Untitled (cattle near river with sailboat in distance), n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of H. Alan and Melvin Frank, 1983.95.98
Copied Edward Mitchell Bannister, Untitled (cattle near river with sailboat in distance), n.d., oil on canvas, 14 1⁄8 x 20 1⁄8 in. (36.0 x 51.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of H. Alan and Melvin Frank, 1983.95.98
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Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (cattle near river with sailboat in distance)
Artist
Date
n.d.
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
14 1⁄8 x 20 1⁄8 in. (36.0 x 51.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of H. Alan and Melvin Frank
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Landscape — farm
  • Landscape — water
  • Animal — goat
  • Animal — cattle
Object Number
1983.95.98
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.98

Artwork Description

Edward Mitchell Bannister was greatly influenced by the French Barbizon school, whose serene depiction of nature and idealized pastoral subjects appealed to his belief in the underlying harmony of all creation. Bannister preferred painting the play of light and the effects of weather on the natural world, often using muted colors and soft depictions of light and shadow. In this untitled work, the dark cluster of trees contrasts with the light-colored clouds, the cows with the bright flock of sheep and river. But within Bannister’s balanced, harmonious composition the lively brushstrokes of the leaves suggest a restless breeze that animates the overcast scene.