Artwork
Wagon Crossing a Drift - Natal
Wagon Crossing a Drift - Natal is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Thomas Baines. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the South African National Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Wagon Crossing a Drift - Natal is an oil-on-canvas painting created by Thomas Baines in 1874. It is part of the Iziko South African National Gallery's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a wagon, led by oxen, crossing a shallow river, with a man guiding the lead ox from the riverbank. A house is visible on a distant hill, surrounded by trees and bushes. The scene depicts a typical moment in the life of travelers or settlers in 19th-century southern Africa.
Technique & Style
The work is characterized by the use of chiaroscuro, which creates depth and contrast through the interplay of light and dark. The palette includes a range of colors such as greens, browns, and blues, typical of the artist's representation of the natural environment.
History & Provenance
Thomas Baines, an English artist and explorer, painted this work during his time in southern Africa. The painting is now held in the Iziko South African National Gallery.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
(John) Thomas Baines (27 November 1820 – 8 May 1875) was an English artist and explorer of British colonial southern Africa and Australia.
An Evening Halt - Emigrants Moving to the West in 1840
Cattle at the waterhole
Landscape
Un alto en la pulpería
Un alto en el campo
Cattle and Landscape
Peisaj cu animale
Cascata de Itamaraty em Petrópolis
Carts at the riverside
Arredores da Fazenda Mandioca, Rio de Janeiro (atribuído)
A Drove of Oxen in the Roman Campagna
Crossing the Ford