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The image shows a large and gnarled tree with a man standing beside it on a small incline. There is no clear horizon line visible. The tree's trunk is captured with textured bark and dramatic curves using broad brushstrokes, conveying age and grandeur. The color palette consists of earthy browns, muted greens, and soft grays. The man is dressed in simple attire and blends into the scene, adding to the rustic atmosphere. The background is kept minimal, focusing on the tree and the figure.
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The image shows a large and gnarled tree with a man standing beside it on a small incline. There is no clear horizon line visible. The tree's trunk is captured with textured bark and dramatic curves using broad brushstrokes, conveying age and grandeur. The color palette consists of earthy browns, muted greens, and soft grays. The man is dressed in simple attire and blends into the scene, adding to the rustic atmosphere. The background is kept minimal, focusing on the tree and the figure.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

Ancient Trees in the Roman Campagna

Giovanni Costa

Date
1850s
Medium
watercolor over graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 39.8 × 27.5 cm (15 11/16 × 10 13/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2015.108.1
Credit line
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Time span
1826 to 1850
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • figure
  • plant
  • Tree
  • Grass
  • Man
Provenance

By descent until c. 2005; (Paolo Antonacci, Rome); (Nicolaas Teeuwisse, Berlin); (sale, Christie's South Kensington, 18 July 2012, no. 877, with a second drawing of trees by Costa); (W/S Fine Art, London); (Stephen Ongpin Fine Art, London); purchased by NGA, 2015.

NGA object ID 204137. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.