Landscape, according to Wikipedia, is one of the most emotional, the most lyrical genres of fine art, the subject of which is the image of pristine or modified human nature. Landscape is also called the object of the image.
However, the landscape t is not just the image of the general properties of nature, natural laws: the time of year, day, weather, ethnic and geographical characteristics of the country, area, pointing to the specifics of the national life, way of life, but it is also the expression of attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and feelings of the artist as a representative of a certain era. In landscape painting it is present the spiritual atmosphere of the time, the collection of its feelings and experiences.
However, it should be noted that the nature of the image often used by artists in other genres of painting serving as a certain background, which helps to reveal the idea, meaning, character of pictorial image deeper. In this case, the landscape loses its independent significance.
As a genre of fine art, landscape has very long history. Image of nature found in Egyptian frescoes dating back to two thousand. BC. There are entire panel with a planar image of trees and birds sitting on them, the Nile lotus and fish swimming in the water. Many generations of artists from different countries and eras contributed to the formation of the landscape genre. Every age takes on a new vision inspired by new ideas. Artists depicted the nature of those symptoms that are responsive to their experiences and views. The paintings of the XVII century are representing humanism, rationalism, reverent attitude to nature. In the art of the Renaissance, we can see images of spring flowering nature, while in baroque we can see motives of autumn withering. Sentimentalism is closely connected to pictures of evening, twilight landscapes, while for classicism is more common solemn, quiet nature.
On the canvases of artists of the XIX century we see a romantic, violent nature. During this period, the impact on the landscape painting had England artists who combined a realistic transfer of reality with a poetic perception. Landscape painting has become really widespread in France. Artists of Barbizon school played huge role in this. Their lyrical works were reproducing pictures of mother nature: forests, rivers, meadows with grazing herds, modest villages. Barbizon sought to realistic, believable image corners of their homeland, as they have appreciated the beauty of their nature.
At the end of the XIX century French landscape painters were busy looking for loud color solutions, the method for transmitting identity and variability of lighting outdoors , depending on weather and time of day. Consequently, works of impressionist artists differ in that.
Thus, the picturesque landscape is characterized by its own means of expression, its own language, and we have to better understand this or that artistic image, the meaning of work, its mood, try to pay attention to some of them, because fine arts is an amazing world, that can improve your mood and inspire you.