An Arcadian Landscape

George Lambert, a member of the artistic circle of William Hogarth and Francis Hayman, was the first British-born painter to devote himself entirely to landscape painting. Although he often painted topographical views, he also made idealized compositions derived from the Italian tradition. In the mid-1740s he painted a small number of landscapes in pastel, then a new departure in Britain at a time when pastels were mostly reserved for portraits. In this example, an ideal landscape opens before us to reveal two figures reclining by a river and a shepherd driving his flock toward us along the road. The scene represents a vision of happy and harmonious nature bathed in sunlight, a glimpse of a lost, golden age.

Gallery label for A Decade of Gifts and Acquisitions (Yale Center for British Art, 2017-06-01 - 2017-08-13)

Credit Line: Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund, in honor of Brian Allen, Director of Studies, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art (1993-2012)