This is a painting of a pastoral scene near the water with a ship and buildings in the background. The artwork is in the style of American folk art, presented in an oval frame. The image depicts a serene landscape by the water, with figures engaged in activities such as gathering flowers in the center. The foliage is in shades of green and brown, spreading above under a lightly clouded, blue sky. On the left side, a ship is anchored near the shore, with buildings visible in the distance. The water has soft waves, contrasting with the rocky ground in the foreground. The pastel colors create a calm and reflective mood, evoking tranquility and connection with nature.

To the Memory of the Benevolent Howard

Salome Hensel

This is a painting of a pastoral scene near the water with a ship and buildings in the background. The artwork is in the style of American folk art, presented in an oval frame. The image depicts a serene landscape by the water, with figures engaged in activities such as gathering flowers in the center. The foliage is in shades of green and brown, spreading above under a lightly clouded, blue sky. On the left side, a ship is anchored near the shore, with buildings visible in the distance. The water has soft waves, contrasting with the rocky ground in the foreground. The pastel colors create a calm and reflective mood, evoking tranquility and connection with nature.

Colors in this work

Details
Artist
Salome Hensel
Date
1823
Medium
watercolor on velveteen (theorem painting)
Dimensions
overall: 63.5 x 82.6 cm (25 x 32 1/2 in.) framed: 76.5 x 96.8 x 5 cm (30 1/8 x 38 1/8 x 1 15/16 in.)
Department
CAB
Holding institution
National Gallery of Art
Palette

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Image provider
national-gallery-of-art
License
CC0-1.0
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch

Art Genome Taxonomy

12 tags

Subject Matter

  • Landscapes and Waterscapes Both · 99%

    The image shows a shoreline, vegetation, figures, and water; the catalog identifies the subject as a pastoral scene near the water.

  • Water Both · 98%

    Water occupies much of the left and lower portions of the composition, with repeated blue marks indicating ripples.

  • Flora Both · 99%

    The scene prominently includes a large tree, vines, leaves, flowers, and a flower basket; the catalog also mentions figures gathering flowers.

  • Nautical Both · 99%

    A sailing ship is clearly visible in the distant left background, and the catalog specifically mentions a ship.

  • Mourning and Commemoration Both · 98%

    The title and the inscribed central marker explicitly establish a commemorative subject centered on remembrance.

  • Text Visual · 99%

    Legible lettering appears on the floral-bordered marker, including “TO THE MEMORY,” “BENEVOLENT,” and “HOWARD.”

Styles and Movements

  • Folk Art Metadata · 97%

    The National Gallery of Art describes the work as being in the style of American folk art.

Visual Qualities

  • Flatness Visual · 93%

    The painted forms are notably flattened, with limited modeling and simplified silhouettes across the figures and landscape.

  • Earth Tones Visual · 92%

    The palette is dominated by muted browns, ochers, dark greens, and subdued blues.

Medium and Techniques

  • Watercolor Metadata · 99%

    The listed medium is watercolor on velveteen, identified as a theorem painting.

Time Periods

Geographic Regions

  • American Art Metadata · 86%

    The catalog characterizes the work as American folk art, supporting its classification within American art.

Source & rights

Salome Hensel. To the Memory of the Benevolent Howard. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.

High-resolution sources

Catalog record ↗ Image source ↗ Image license ↗ Image-use terms ↗ Catalog metadata terms ↗

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