Who painted Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree?

Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree was painted by Salomon Gessner in 1764.

Where can I see Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree?

Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree?

Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree

Salomon Gessner , 1764

Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Salomon Gessner. It dates from 1764 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The composition centers on a mature tree whose upper limbs have been deliberately cut back, positioned beside a gently winding stream that enters from the left.

Salomon Gessner’s 1764 etching titled Wooded Landscape with a Pollarded Tree presents a quiet natural scene rendered on laid paper tinted a pale blue. The composition centers on a mature tree whose upper limbs have been deliberately cut back, positioned beside a gently winding stream that enters from the left. Distant foliage and a rocky outcrop complete the background, giving the work a sense of depth.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a forested setting where human intervention is hinted at by the pollarded trunk, suggesting a managed landscape rather than untouched wilderness. The calm flow of water and the orderly arrangement of trees convey a tranquil atmosphere, inviting contemplation of the balance between cultivation and nature’s inherent serenity.

Technique & Style

Executed through the etching process, Gessner incised fine lines into a copper plate, allowing for delicate rendering of bark texture, leaf patterns, and water ripples. The pale blue tint of the paper adds a subtle atmospheric quality, while the laid paper’s ribbed surface contributes to the visual depth. The work reflects the 18th‑century interest in detailed, naturalistic landscape prints.

History & Provenance

Created in 1764, the print belongs to Gessner’s broader output of pastoral and landscape subjects, which were popular among collectors of the period. While specific ownership records for this particular impression are scarce, it is known to have circulated among European print enthusiasts and appears in several 19th‑century catalogues of Gessner’s oeuvre.