Artwork

House with a Dovecote in a Rolling Landscape

House with a Dovecote in a Rolling Landscape, by Nicolas Pérignon, ink, 1770
House with a Dovecote in a Rolling Landscape, by Nicolas Pérignon, ink, 1770

House with a Dovecote in a Rolling Landscape is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Nicolas Pérignon. It dates from 1770 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Nicolas Pérignon’s etching titled *House with a Dovecote in a Rolling Landscape* dates from around 1770. Executed on laid paper, the print presents a tranquil rural tableau rendered in monochrome. A modest thatched house crowns a gentle rise, while a small shelter—interpreted as a dovecote—stands nearby, all set against a softly sketched sky and a placid water surface.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts an idyllic countryside scene, emphasizing the harmony between modest architecture and the surrounding nature.

The composition depicts an idyllic countryside scene, emphasizing the harmony between modest architecture and the surrounding nature. The presence of a dovecote, a structure traditionally used for housing pigeons, hints at agricultural practices of the period and underscores a self‑sufficient, pastoral lifestyle. The solitary figure in the foreground adds a human scale without dominating the landscape.

Technique & Style

Pérignon employed traditional etching methods, incising fine lines into a copper plate before transferring the image onto laid paper. The delicate cross‑hatching conveys textures such as bark, thatch, and water ripple, while broader, wavy strokes suggest atmospheric sky. The overall effect is a restrained, linear aesthetic typical of late‑18th‑century French printmaking.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1770, the work belongs to the later phase of Pérignon’s career, when he focused on topographical subjects. Although specific ownership records are scarce, the print has appeared in several 19th‑century collections of French landscape etchings, indicating its circulation among connoisseurs of the period’s rural imagery.

Artist & collection

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.