Artwork
Landscape with lake and mountains
Landscape with lake and mountains is a watercolor work on paper by Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This watercolour presents a tranquil lakeside setting framed by distant mountains.
About this work
Overview
This watercolour presents a tranquil lakeside setting framed by distant mountains. The composition balances a gentle shoreline with softly undulating hills, creating a sense of spacious calm. Muted greens and blues dominate the palette, merging seamlessly with a pale sky, while the overall effect is one of quiet contemplation.
Subject & Meaning
In the foreground, two figures are seated beside a narrow stream that feeds the lake; one rests beneath a blue cloth, suggesting a pause in activity such as fishing or rest. Sparse trees line the water’s edge, their loose branches adding a natural, unstructured feel to the scene, reinforcing the theme of serene, everyday leisure.
Technique & Style
The artist employs light, fluid brushstrokes characteristic of watercolour, allowing washes of colour to blend and soften forms. This approach renders the mountains as atmospheric silhouettes that recede into the background, while the foreground details retain a sketch‑like immediacy, emphasizing the work’s overall gentle and open atmosphere.
History & Provenance
The painting was formerly part of the collection owned by Decimus Burton, a noted architect and the great‑uncle of the testatrix. Its association with Burton situates the work within a private familial context before it entered the present holdings.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding
Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding painted British landscapes in watercolour during the early 1800s.
