Artwork
Three Women Seated by a Wooded Lake
Three Women Seated by a Wooded Lake is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist Francis Danby. It dates from 1826 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Three Women Seated by a Wooded Lake is a small-scale work on paper by Irish-born painter Francis Danby, executed around 1826. The composition presents three female figures positioned beside a tranquil, tree‑lined lake, rendered primarily in watercolor with graphite accents. The piece exemplifies Danby’s early interest in atmospheric landscape combined with figure study.
Technique & Style
Danby employed a delicate watercolor wash to suggest the reflective surface of the water and the surrounding foliage, while graphite lines define the contours of the women and the foreground elements. The muted palette and soft transitions evoke a quiet, lyrical mood characteristic of early 19th‑century Romantic drawing.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1826, the drawing belongs to the period when Danby was establishing his reputation in London’s artistic circles. Its provenance traces back to private collections before entering a museum holding of 19th‑century British watercolors, where it remains accessible for study of Danby’s developmental phase.
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