Artwork Page for The Old Willow at a Brook

Details / Information for The Old Willow at a Brook

The Old Willow at a Brook

1794

Georg von Dillis

(German, 1759–1841)
Culture
Germany, late 18th Century
Medium
etching
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1993.134
Catalogue raisonné
Andressen 30
State
II
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

After an initial phase of classically influenced landscape painting, Dillis’s work achieved a newfound naturalism and freedom. He based this close-up view of a thicket on direct observation of nature. Dillis’s dense network of lines form a filigree-like pattern of trees and foliage. One of only two etchings that Dillis published during his lifetime, this informal composition and its loose style reveal the influence of Jacob van Ruisdael, a Dutch landscapist of the 17th century. In addition to being an artist, Dillis was an outstanding connoisseur and assembled a large print collection of his own. He became one of the first great German museum directors whose impact on the history of art was enormous.
A horizontally oriented etching in black ink with dense, intricate lines and cross-hatching depicts a thick, gnarled willow tree leaning over a brook. The dark trunk curves toward the right, surrounded by heavy foliage. A slender tree rises on the left, while short horizontal strokes define the water in the foreground. Small patches of white represent light filtering through the canopy, creating deep shadows throughout the landscape.

The Old Willow at a Brook

1794

Georg von Dillis

(German, 1759–1841)
Germany, late 18th Century

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