Who painted Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree?

Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree was painted by Ludwig Richter in 1868.

Where can I see Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree?

Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree?

Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree?

Museum-quality prints of Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree

Ludwig Richter , 1868

Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree is an ink drawing by the Impressionist artist Ludwig Richter. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Ludwig Richter’s 1868 drawing *Children and Goats Resting by a Felled Tree* depicts a bucolic moment in a meadow where several youngsters interact with goats near a fallen trunk. The composition balances figures and landscape, with a modest hill and scattered trees in the distance, creating a tranquil rural vignette characteristic of mid‑nineteenth‑century German genre scenes.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a leisurely episode of play: a child climbs a low branch, another leans against a stick, while a small group gathers around the log, surrounded by goats that lie or stand nearby. The informal arrangement suggests an idealized view of childhood innocence and harmonious coexistence with nature, reflecting contemporary Romantic and Biedermeier values of domestic simplicity.

Technique & Style

Richter combines brown and gray pen ink with watercolor and gouache on wove paper, applying a light varnish that adds subtle depth. The palette is muted, and the lines remain fluid, giving the image a sketch‑like freshness rather than a finished polish. This mixed‑media approach underscores his background as an illustrator, where clarity of form and gentle tonal modulation were paramount.

History & Provenance

Created during Richter’s mature period, the drawing aligns with his reputation as a leading German illustrator influenced by predecessors such as Erhard and Chodowiecki. While specific ownership records are limited, the piece exemplifies the artist’s prolific output for books and periodicals that circulated widely in the German‑speaking world of the 1860s.