The Towpath1864
Johan Barthold Jongkind painted this in 1864, aged 45. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. More about this work
About this work
This painting shows a landscape with a horizon in the lower third of the composition. On the left side of the painting, there are tall trees along a canal. In the center is a dirt path on the other edge of the canal, with a person riding a donkey who looks over their shoulder towards us. On the right side, there are white buildings in the distance, with a grassy field leading towards them. The light blue sky is filled with fluffy clouds, and the water of the canal reflects the sky and trees. The brushstrokes of the painting are thick and visible, especially in the sky.
Description from the National Gallery of Art.
Johan Barthold Jongkind painted this in 1864, aged 45. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
How it was made
- Oil paint
- Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The National Gallery of Art has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.
- Object number
- 2006.128.22
- Credit
- Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
- Type
- Painting
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
