Artwork
An Evening Landscape with Tall Trees
An Evening Landscape with Tall Trees is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Myles Birket Foster. It dates from 1862 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1862, *An Evening Landscape with Tall Trees* is a drawing by British Victorian illustrator Myles Birket Foster. Executed on wove paper, the work combines graphite with selective pen and brown‑ink accents. It belongs to the landscape tradition and demonstrates Foster’s reputation as a precise draughtsman and competent printmaker.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a tranquil forest at dusk, dominated by slender, twisting trees whose branches reach into a deepening sky. Soft, indistinct hills and faint ruins emerge through the foliage, suggesting a remote, contemplative setting. The overall atmosphere conveys a quiet solitude, as if the woodland is paused in the evening hush.
Technique & Style
Foster employed graphite to build tonal values, using fine, overlapping strokes to render shadow and form. Pen and brown ink are applied sparingly to accent edges and deepen darkness, enhancing contrast. The drawing relies on cross‑hatching and line work to suggest depth, achieving a nuanced sense of space without any color.
History & Provenance
The piece originates from Foster’s productive period in the early 1860s, when he was establishing himself as a leading illustrator for books and periodicals. It remains a representative example of his early drawing practice, reflecting the Victorian interest in atmospheric rural scenes. Current ownership details are not publicly recorded.
Artist & collection
Artist
Myles Birket Foster (4 February 1825 – 27 March 1899) was a British illustrator, watercolourist and engraver in the Victorian period. His name is also to be found as Myles Birkett Foster.
![Treetops [verso], by Jean Antoine Watteau](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/jean-antoine-watteau--treetops-verso--4421ba6693a6d660-w320.webp)